


Infernal AUs for Your NOTP

by Zlu_and_Luff



Category: Ratchet & Clank
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-07-18 09:24:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 33,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7309396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zlu_and_Luff/pseuds/Zlu_and_Luff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We fell into Alister/Percival hell, and we fell hard, but we don't have time to write full-fledged novel-length fics, so instead we present to you a collection of abridged versions of the AUs we came up with. They come in all sorts of flavors, so if some types of content disagree with you, read the warning in front of each chapter. Each chapter will be a separate illustrated story. Drop us a word if you read any of them!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fake Lombax AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The consequences of keeping one's enemies too close. Percival Tachyon creates a Lombax android to personally assassinate Alister Azimuth, but gets sidetracked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings:  
> Inter-species romance. If you think Cragmite/Lombax is too much for you as a concept, better skip this one. There's going to be a human AU later.  
> No violence, no graphic sex, no non-con or anything particularly dark in this one. Some angst.

* * *

* * *

Twenty years have passed since the destruction of Fastoon. Aside from his unending search for the Great Clock, Alister spends all his lonely days trying to undermine the rule of Tachyon, Nefarious and other villainous despots oppressing the galaxy by sabotaging their transports and attacking their outposts. A few times they managed capture him but he broke out. Numerous times they sent assassins after him but all failed to kill him thus far. With each such attempt, Alister gets even better at staying elusive, even though most of his enemies know that he is hiding somewhere on Torren IV.  
  
Alister Azimuth is being such a thorn in the side that Percival Tachyon begins regretting that he’d once spared his life for the sheer amusement of watching him wallow in misery. After several unsuccessful attempts to get rid of Alister through proxies, Tachyon is so fed up with the Lombax’s constant interference and the incompetence of his minions that he decides to take the matter into his own hands.  
  
Since some of the assassins had used Lombax holo-guises and the Cragmite knows that Azimuth rather expects those than not, Percival devises a more sinister scheme. With his mechanical genius and knowledge gained from having lived a long time among Lombaxes, Tachyon constructs a life-like Lombax android. It starts out as merely a tool to finally kill the pesky general, but as he finds himself designing the fake Lombax, Percival half-consciously gives his creation a “what-if-I-were-a-handsome-Lombax” appearance. Even though he refuses to consciously acknowledge it, Lombax beauty standards have rubbed off on him and the fake Lombax ends up with a long tail and really long ears. The android also has a little of Percy’s own appearance to it (the markings on its ears are like those on Percival’s head), so to make the similarities less striking Tachyon gives the Lombax a brown-green outfit.  
  
Finally his work is complete, and Percival has a remote-controlled Lombax robot assassin at his disposal. He also has a sort of VR helmet to control it with, which connects directly to his brain impulses so that he can put on a fully life-like performance as he gets close to his enemy.  
  
Percy takes control of the android and sends it to Torren IV to track down Azimuth.

  
So the other day Alister is just minding his own business in Volgram Pass, when a Markazian approaches him in the open, drawing attention and proclaiming peaceful intentions. But Alister sees it is a hologuise and attacks. The intruder defends himself, but doesn’t fight back and keeps claiming peaceful intentions. Finally, when the distance between the two of them is smaller and Alister’s attacks have worn the stranger out, the intruder switches off the hologuise. Alister sees a male Lombax in a makeshift armor, somewhat battered from his attacks.  
  
The Lombax pleads him to stop attacking and seems to be very tired from the fight. Alister cannot believe his eyes, but he sees that it’s not a hologuise. Who would even use two hologuises one on top of the other, if that is even possible? And so he stops trying to kill the stranger and warily approaches him, asking for his purpose.  
  
The Lombax claims his name is Pietro Equinox, and that he came to find Alister, because he heard the rumor of another living Lombax. The hologuise is something that helped him stay safe in a universe where Lombaxes are hunted. The bioscans were a pain of course, but he mostly travelled through shady nooks and crannies which did not have those, this way avoiding detection.  
  
Alister is still not fully convinced and has a lot of questions before he can trust the unexpected visitor. So through questioning the Lombax he finds out, that Equinox was born on Fastoon, but only spent his early childhood there, before his parents moved to perform research on a far off world, where they were eventually stranded when the other Lombaxes vanished. From then on Pietro grew up on the run, losing first his father and eventually his mother, until he was left alone to roam the far reaches of space as a teenager with a hologuise and a health condition. He needs a lot of rest and is prone to fainting, when he is worn out, and his condition is making it harder and harder for him to survive on his own. That is why he came searching for the only other Lombax he ever heard about, hoping to find a safe haven in his company.  
  
Azimuth buys this tragic story and feeling somewhat guilty after having attacked one of his own, and a sickly one at that, invites Pietro to stay at his hideout for now. He is kind to Pietro yet he keeps to himself, still rather slow to accept the stranger. Twenty years of solitude have taken its toll, making him distrustful even towards his few allies.  
  
As the initial shock and well justified suspicion passes, Alister begins feeling the thrill of having met another Lombax. The gravity of it dawns on him. He’s never hoped to see another one of his race again. Not before he managed to turn back the time and right all his wrongs.  
Talking to Pietro comes easy and in the end Alister opens up a little, telling Equinox about his past, and about his regrets. His new friend comforts him and asks him questions about Fastoon, after all his own childhood memories are very blurry. Pietro does remember things, though, and that makes Alister trust him more and more.  
  
Pietro’s tragic past feels like another thing to blame himself for, so Alister makes sure to show some proper Lombax hospitality. It’s still hard to believe that he’s no longer alone out here. He was convinced he would spend the rest of his life this way - an exile trying to do what little he can to fight against the galaxy’s oppressors, while dreaming of changing the past even at the cost of his own life. But now he has someone to protect here and now.  
  
Percy meanwhile keeps postponing the killing blow, getting more and more enthralled by the experience of being treated as a Lombax by another Lombax. During his own youth spent among the Lombaxes he was always an alien to them, an outsider, a weird-looking specimen of some unknown species. No matter how hard he tried to blend in, he was never treated or seen as one of them. When other Lombax children around him answered the question of who they wanted to be with names of their future occupations, he said he wanted to be a Lombax, and everyone laughed at him. He could never be a Lombax, he would always be different. They always looked down at him, sneered at him, or pitied him. It helped fuel his hate, when he had finally discovered the truth about his own nature and the defeat of the Cragmites.  
  
The memories still hurt him but even though he tries to deny it, even now, after all these years the longing to belong is still powerful. Now he unexpectedly finds himself having this thing he never thought he’d have, this acceptance he had once longed for so much. And so he keeps stalling, letting this lie stretch, getting more and more engrossed into his own fake Lombax persona.  
  
Quickly it becomes apparent that Alister’s guest has a strong inventive/engineering streak. It is to be expected, in a true Lombax of course, but Alister is still slightly surprised and amused to see Pietro going through his old inventory, picking items and tinkering with them. He joins him in it and together they fix Kaden’s old hoverboots, which Equinox then reverse-engineers to make new ones, thus impressing Alister further. They race together, and for Azimuth it’s just like his youth, like the good old days when he was out there exploring with Kaden. And his new friend is so cheerful and happy to be included.  
  
After a longer while, Alister trusts Pietro enough to tell him more about his rebel activities. He’s however hesitant to ask for Pietro’s help, mostly because he doesn’t want to risk a life of another Lombax ever again. But Equinox is excited, he really wants to help bring down Nefarious. But Alister says “Not this time, right now I am looking to bring down an operation run by the Tachyon Empire.”  
  
And Percy has a moment of hesitation. But then afraid to compromise his act, he says that of course he would love to help Alister with that as well, after all according to his own story his parents were killed by the underlings of that dratted Cragmite. The conversation inevitably focuses on how much of a bastard Percival Tachyon is. How Cragmites in general are nothing but destructive monsters. To Percival’s surprise Alister mentions how unlike the rest of his race, Tachyon at least displayed a true scientific genius though bent on evil.  
  
Partially offended, but also curious Percy asks Alister about the Cragmites. After all so far he has not encountered his own species yet ( _this happens before the time when Tachyon in canon tracked down Ratchet_ ). Alister has nothing good to say about them, and that makes Percy sulky, but he doesn’t let it show on his Lombax proxy. He also doesn’t fully buy it for now. After all Alister is just a Lombax. And then again, Alister keeps pointing out how Pietro is also a Lombax, and how their species is so noble and ingenious and Percy did look up to Lombaxes once, when he was living among them still oblivious to his origins. His childhood wish to also be a Lombax now temporarily fulfilled slowly starts to mess with his head.  
  
When the opportunity arises, Alister takes Equinox on a mission, and his new ally proves to be of great assistance. Pietro is good with a blaster, decent on the battlefield and very resourceful. But he really shines when it comes to breaking into things, hacking and reprogramming enemy defenses. Alister is thrilled to have such competent help. Percy, more and more engaged in what they are doing, lets his own smug persona shine through and Alister embraces that side of his new friend as well. So what, Percival ponders, if he has to sacrifice a few minions, some transport or even a small outpost. They’re all expendable and anyway, it’s not like Alister could do any significant damage.  
  
The mission goes well and is only tarnished by the landing of their spaceship, because as it turns out Equinox’s genius with hardware is compensated by atrocious parking skills. However he does fix Alister’s ship and even improve some things about it afterwards, so Azimuth is merely amused by this flaw and tells Pietro he’ll be the one piloting next time.  
  
During their third mission against Percy’s forces, Equinox is captured. Percy had arranged that to have some time away from this charade and take care of some Tachyon empire business. The fake Lombaxes’ alleged health issues justified taking a lot of naps and going to sleep early, which gave Percival excuse and time to keep his empire in check without raising Azimuth’s suspicion but things around here were starting to lag behind and he needed to focus on it for a while.  
  
By the time Azimuth arrives to free his friend, Percy’s upgraded his android, rested and completed some important tasks, so he’s ready to go mess with his old Lombax acquaintance some more. Alister is very glad to see Equinox is alive and relatively well, and Percy feels this strange funny longing, because someone genuinely cares about his well-being. He can’t remember the last time it occurred. He escapes with Alister, drawn further into his own lie.  
  
They go on a number of missions. Both against Tachyon’s and Nefarious’s forces. They help each other, work as a team, bond and get along splendidly. They chat and laugh over the incompetence of their enemies’ minions. They see Percy’s propaganda and laugh at how disgusting and ridiculous the self-important Cragmite is. Percy’s old complexes turn into powerful self-loathing. He internalizes the resentment Alister holds towards his real self and his entire race and starts to associate more and more with the Lombax persona. Meanwhile he also begins to genuinely grow fond of Alister and the plan of murdering him starts fading into the far corners of his conscience.  
  
Percival opens up to Alister emotionally and starts speaking about his own feelings through the lense of this Lombax he is pretending to be. He talks to Alister about how lonely it felt growing up, thinking he is the only one of his race left. How he felt freaky because everyone looked different from him and treated him as a weirdo, when he was not in a hologuise. How wonderful it feels to be with another one of his kind now. How he feels for once in decades that he finally belongs. Alister can relate to the feeling of loneliness very well.  
  
With each passing week Alister is embracing the idea that he is no longer alone more and more. Originally he was planning to only give temporary shelter to Pietro, until he found a safe place for him to permanently relocate to - it is way too dangerous here after all. But they cooperate so well together and besides until Tachyon is dealt with, and the Lombax hunt ends, Pietro would have to always hide, always be on the run anyway… Maybe it isn’t entirely impossible for them to stay this way, fighting back side by side. Of course, Alister still wishes to find the Great Clock, but he has been searching for it for so long... Though who knows. Pietro is a brilliant inventor. Perhaps working together they would manage to finally locate it and make it work?  
  
Following that line of thought, one day Alister shows his research concerning the Great Clock to Equinox, and Pietro also gets excited about it, studying everything Alister has to offer and throwing around new plausible theories. They talk a lot about that and other things, they prepare for missions together, train and rest together. Alister still gets the blues each time he remembers going on similar adventures with Kaden, but he tries to separate the memories from the here and now. After a while he realizes that for the first time in two decades it almost feels like he’s home. Meanwhile Percy feels acceptance and belonging that he had never experienced. Actually, no… He had experienced something like that. To a lesser extent. But it was this very Lombax who had once welcomed him on Fastoon, treated him as a respected guest, as a friend even. Blinded by his plans of revenge Percival had not appreciated it then. But now those memories make him feel fond of Alister, make Azimuth’s friendship more significant. The thought of killing or betraying him fades away completely, and Percival starts to genuinely care for the Lombax. He notices things about Alister he had never paid much mind to before.  
  
Now and then Alister catches his new friend steal glances at him that hold more than the casual interest. Equinox seems to be looking at him in a whole new way and Alister isn’t blind. He shrugs it off for a while, seeing as the other Lombax is either undecided or too shy to act on it. He thinks the possibility over in the meantime.  
  
One evening Pietro is tinkering with Alister’s hoverboots, when the older Lombax drops by and chats him up. He compliments Pietro’s handiwork and his general technical brilliance. Equinox is smug, but also a little shy when Alister sits down right next to him. Little by little the distance between them grows smaller and Alister takes the boots away from him. Pietro finds himself in Alister’s arms and it’s the best thing ever. They kiss. Overwhelmed, Pietro withdraws after a while, shocked, giddy, but also nervous as hell. Percy is still aware this is just a remotely controlled android body he’s in. It does not have _that_ level of anatomical accuracy. He says he needs a bit of time. Alister smiles and tells him that it’s okay, he is all for going slow. After all Pietro has never been with another Lombax, or well, with anyone.

  
Soon Pietro says he wants to go to one of his own old hideouts and retrieve some belongings. He would go in a hologuise, so Alister shouldn’t come with him. In reality he goes to a place where Percy picks the android up and makes necessary _adjustments_. He’s scanned Alister with his robot sensors and now tries to make his android lifelike in the most intimate regards. He makes sure to get down every detail. It’s embarrassing, but he does it anyway, because by now he really wants to have that with Alister. This fake life as a Lombax, this budding romance is the happiest he’s ever been. He knows it is just a lie, but he wants more of it anyway. He will deal with Alister’s rebel activities later, he tells himself. Someday. Not anytime soon. He just wants to see Alister smile like that again, he wants those indirect kisses he could have never experienced otherwise. He wants to be Pietro. He wants this life.  
  
Equinox returns to Torren IV and that very night he finds himself in Alister’s bed. They make love and nothing seems off to Alister. Pietro clings to him, happy and affectionate. They can’t get enough of each other.  
  
Pietro’s previous fainting spells become rarer, his naps during the day start to grow shorter and the two Lombaxes spend almost every waking moment together. Alister is happy to see the Lombax’s health improving. Together they wreck havoc on Nefarious’s operations, undermine Tachyon’s rule and their bounties soar. The adventures and peaceful moments they share make them grow closer and closer.  
  
Five years pass like that.  
  
Alister no longer misses Kaden the same way. He still wants to find the Great Clock, but he is not in hurry anymore. Because now he knows he can do it. With his brilliant partner he can do anything. He will find the Clock and fix his own mistakes, save Pietro from his losses and a life on the run. But even if he fails, he has found something worth living for here and now.  
  
Meanwhile Tachyon’s Empire is starting to slowly fall apart. Percival takes very little personal action, avoids contact with his subjects and underlings, has virtually ceased galactic conquest and his search for the fabled Lombax secret. He seems to be a shadow of his former self, lost in thoughts and reclusive.  
  
Equinox is a ray of sunshine. With his help Alister’s search for the Great Clock is narrowing down on smaller and smaller areas of space. It’s practically at their fingertips. But with their other activities, they are also getting more and more heat from their enemies’ forces.  
  
To solve all their problems, one day Pietro proposes something so crazy that Alister isn’t sure he heard right. He suggests they go and kill Percival Tachyon. End his rule once and for all. Alister tells him it’s impossible, they would never possibly make it in and out of there alive. But Pietro grins and dares to disagree. He tells Alister that the last time he was Tachyon’s prisoner, he hacked into the imperial systems and that he has access to all the plans and the patrol schedule. Suddenly it starts to seem more real. But Alister still hesitates. Seeing that Pietro starts encouraging him to go on this mission. Tachyon killed his parents, he says, he killed Kaden and his family, ruined their lives. The Cragmite bastard is the stain on the galaxy. Get rid of him and the Cragmite destruction will be complete. And everyone would be better off.  
  
It’s an insane idea but taking Tachyon out of the picture would really turn the tide of this struggle. Nefarius should be easier to deal with then, heck, everything would be easier. The galaxy would have a breather, and without Tachyon hounding them, maybe they could also focus on locating the Great Clock. Both of them want to have their revenge and hardly anything has ever been more appealing than killing the galaxy’s tyrant. Alister starts to really consider going on this crazy venture.  
  
And so, finally they set out to accomplish it. To Alister’s surprise and Pietro’s joy sneaking into Tachyon’s headquarters goes smoothly. It looks like Pietro managed to not only download the latest patterns of patrols, but he also knows passwords to all the doors. Unnoticed, they make it all the way to Tachyon’s private chambers. They find the Cragmite in his laboratory. He seems to be unaware of their presence, seated on some weird-looking chair with an even weirder-looking helmet on his head. He looks like an easy enough target but they still approach him cautiously. He’s known to be a treacherous villain after all.  
  
When they come closer, something feels off. The Cragmite seems to actually be sleeping. But when Pietro leans to Alister to whisper his guesses about the strange device on the Cragmite’s head they both hear Percival saying the same words in the exact same moment. It gives them pause and they decide they must have heard wrong. But when Pietro whispers again, it repeats. This quite understandably unnerves both Lombaxes, who are afraid that they might have been discovered and perhaps Tachyon is just mocking them. But Percival does not move or say anything on his own. Pietro seems particularly bothered by the situation, and can’t take any more of this, so he finally approaches Percival and pulls the device off his head.  
  
Right after, another strange thing happens. As Percival suddenly wakes up and skitters away in panic to hide under the table, Pietro sits down on the floor, and then slowly sinks to lie on his side, like he used to do when having one of his fainting fits. Before Alister manages to make sense of what just happened, the Cragmite crawls back out from his hideout and he addresses him.  
  
“Look, Alister! It appears I am in Tachyon’s head now. I am controlling him!”  
  
Alister just stares between Pietro and Percival wide-eyed.  
  
“Ugh, but how gross.” Percival regards his own tiny hands with a grimace. “I don’t want to do this. It’s disgusting. Maybe if I put that helmet back on him it will stop.”  
  
And once again, before Alister figures out how to react, Percival puts the device back on his head and Pietro wakes up. He is confused too, and still very unnerved by how Tachyon keeps talking in unison with him, but he voices a crazy theory that maybe he has an odd mind-control power he was apparently unaware of, that Tachyon must have somehow anticipated and attempted to protect himself from it with the strange headgear.  
  
“But look it still doesn’t work completely because the Cragmite keeps saying the same things as me? How creepy right?”  
  
Suddenly the alarm rings. The guards have discovered a breach and are searching for intruders. The alarm states that one Lombax intruder was discovered by the bioscan. Those always seemed to glitch on Pietro...  
  
While Alister is processing this fact under a whole new angle, Equinox is trying to get through to him that they need to act now and kill Tachyon. Seeing as Alister doesn’t do anything, he decides to take action, but when he prepares to strike a deadly blow on Percival, Alister stops him.  
  
“Don’t.”  
  
Alister is completely confused, and he can’t take any rash actions before he makes sense of it. But there’s no time for it right now. They already hear the guards coming. Alister orders Equinox to run, and not knowing what he is supposed to do, he picks Percival up as well.  
  
Pietro sees that.  
  
“Oh, so we’re kidnapping him for now, and killing him later? Okay. Actually that makes sense. Good thinking Alister, he might know something useful!”  
  
Alister keeps being in a shock of half-realization, half-denial. It is too surreal. Like in a dream, they escape through the corridors. Shots of blasters start flying around but when the Drophyds and robots see the two Lombaxes took emperor Tachyon hostage they cease fire. Azimuth and Equinox get back on their ship. They lock Percival up in the small cargo storage area, for now leaving the device on his head because Alister dreads to once again see proof of what he thinks is happening.  
  
Pietro is talking to him but Alister barely registers the words. Finally he hears something about about how they will finally have revenge on Tachyon. He snaps out of his confused thoughts and when Pietro asks a follow up question on how they are going to torture the Cragmite, Azimuth snaps at him and makes him swear he will not try to torture or kill Percival. Not now, not later, and especially not without telling Alister. Pietro looks at him in confusion but he agrees. He sees Alister is rather stressed but it makes sense in this situation. He’s also rather upset about that strange mind-control power, so he understands Alister. The most important thing was that their mission was a huge success. They have the little tyrant now and if Alister just wants to start off with a gentler kind of interrogation, then they’re going to do it that way. There’s too much that they need to find out. Maybe he knows some stuff that will let them combat Nefarious? Heck, maybe he even knows something about the Clock? Or other surviving Lombaxes?  
  
After they return to Torren IV the atmosphere is still nervous. Percival still keeps speaking together with Pietro making Equinox cringe each time. They lock the Cragmite up, leaving some food for him. That evening, Alister doesn’t go to sleep with Pietro. He tells the Lombax to lie down - it was an exhausting day after all and he shouldn’t stay up late, not after such taxing mission, not with his health condition, even though it might have improved. Alister just needs to wrap up a couple of things. He promises to join him later.  
  
He doesn’t. Instead he sets up a camera in the room where they locked Percival. Desperately, he seeks more proof, refusing to acknowledge the dreadful conclusion his mind already reached, hoping to somehow prove it wrong. Upon basic examination earlier, he already knows the helmet to be exactly what he feared it to be, a VR controller. All pieces are falling into place even though he begs them not to.  
  
The way Pietro talked about Fastoon, about growing up lonely and wishing he could meet someone of his kind… even the inventive genius Pietro displayed suddenly feels so familiar… Alister just sits at his desk and hides his head in his hands, because it can’t be true. It can’t be.  
  
But he already knows that it is.  
  
For the first hour after Pietro goes to sleep nothing changes. Then Percival curls up and falls asleep, with the device still on his head.  
  
Not knowing what to think or to do, Alister just sits there for hours, watching the Cragmite who killed his loved ones and ruined his life. The creature that oppressed the galaxy for twenty years and once again managed to fool him so completely. But why? Why would Tachyon do this? Was it some sort of game supposed to serve his amusement? Did he want to humiliate Alister, and ruin him even further? If so, then once again the vile Cragmite succeeded. But when was Tachyon planning to reveal the truth?  
  
Alister doesn’t understand. He doesn’t know what to do. It feels too unreal. Even though he doesn’t need more proof, just to occupy himself with something he builds a simple scanner and before dawn, he sneaks into the bedroom, using it on Pietro, something he’s never thought, or had a reason to do.  
  
The scanner instantly reveals that the Lombax he was in love with with is just a finely crafted bio-mechanic. Only now Alister suddenly begins to notice all the things he was so blind to. Even the patterns on the ears of the Lombax are exactly the same as Percival’s markings. Of course, Tachyon was always so full of himself, it was only natural that he would incorporate such fine details into the design of what was supposed to be… to be what? A weapon?  
  
It is some kind of nightmare but no matter what he does, Alister can’t wake up. Hopeless, he lies down on the bed beside Percival’s most perfect but devious creation but he doesn’t sleep. The last five years of his life were an intricately crafted lie, a trick. But if Percival wished to gloat over his foolishness, why didn’t he reveal himself yet? Why did he complicate it so much by leading them into his own headquarters? What was he waiting for, unless…  
  
...unless he wasn’t waiting.  
  
Ever since Pietro appeared on Torren IV, Tachyon’s empire was slowly crumbling. Their rebel activities never could have made such a difference. Percival himself looks gaunt and unhealthy. Now in the night quiet Alister remembers the frantic moments in Tachyon’s base when Percival crawled towards him pretending to be… no… _convinced_ that he was Pietro. It wasn’t feigned. That dratted Cragmite really believed he was the Lombax. He did not only lie to Alister. He also got caught up in his own lie, and so completely that he set out to kill Emperor Tachyon. If Alister hadn’t stopped him back then, Percival would have committed the most sophisticated suicide.  
  
The next day, Azimuth distances himself from the fake Lombax, as he tries to pull himself together after the realization. He locks himself in his workshop and watches Percival. The Cragmite barely eats the food he’s left him. He stays in a constant trance-like state. When Tachyon begins mumbling in the exact moment Pietro knocks on the door, asking what Alister is doing, Azimuth is so crestfallen he doesn’t even answer for a while. The logical thing to do, the thing that his whole life led him to, would be to kill Tachyon. Solve both their problems.  
  
He knows he won’t do it though. He can’t. Not anymore.  
  
That something like this could have happened is just too insane to wrap his head around but the reality is slowly sinking in. Alister tries to understand what could have been Tachyon’s initial motivation. The answer is probably quite simple. To his surprise, Alister doesn’t even feel angry or disgusted. He just feels blank.  
  
Pietro tries to get through to him for half a day, clearly worried when Alister offers only sporadic dismissive replies from behind the door. In the end Alister goes out of the workshop as if nothing was the matter, but Equinox still notices the change in his demeanor and the fact he avoids any physical contact.  
  
A few days pass before it finally comes to a confrontation.  
  
“When will we question the disgusting Cragmite?” Pietro asks casually.  
  
Alister who has been watching the fake Lombax go about his business for few days, trying to decide on how to find a way out of this predicament, is at last fed up with Tachyon’s complete denial. He snaps back at Pietro, “You’re the disgusting Cragmite.”  
  
“What?” Pietro just stares at him, unsure if Alister just made a joke and he should be laughing. “Pfft, Alister, what are you even saying?”  
  
“You are Percival Tachyon.”  
  
“This isn’t funny!”  
  
“Yes, it isn’t.” Alister stares at him intensely. He’s been thinking of nothing else for the last days.  
  
“It’s the least funny thing that happened since you destroyed Fastoon.”  
  
“Stop it!” Pietro yells at him, very upset. “Just because I can get into his head somehow doesn’t make us the same person! How would that even be possible? What are you implying?”  
  
“I’m implying exactly what you heard. You are Percival Tachyon. In a remote controlled android, with a severe identity crisis.” Alister says through clenched teeth.  
  
“Oh? Really? How lovely! So according to you, I’m not a real person, I’m some infernal invention of that degenerated…”  
  
The android trails off, looking anxious, as the words ring true. His vision is enhanced. He can see things that organics can not, he can replay conversations in his head like they were recordings. Pietro lifts his hand and presses a point on his forearm, something clicks and shifts under his glove. The fake Lombax starts breathing heavily, but the sinking feeling in his stomach is misplaced, it is not coming from this body.  
  
Equinox sinks to his knees and shuts down. Alister races to the room where he had kept Tachyon prisoner. He opens the door.  
  
Percival stands in the middle of the room, staring back at him in horror. The helmet is discarded on the floor few feet away from him.  
  
The realization finally sinks in, and the Cragmite looks at himself. At his freaky thin short arms, his insect-like lower body, his hairless purplish skin. He’s not a Lombax, he never was a Lombax. He’s just a Cragmite. The Cragmite that killed Alister’s best friend and destroyed his home planet. The Cragmite they were plotting to assassinate together.  
  
“No… no… no...”  
  
Percy bursts into tears, curling up, trying in vain to just disappear.  
  
Alister watches him from the open door. He knows he should hate this creature, that he should be disgusted and appalled. A few days ago he was willing to kill the Cragmite in cold blood. Finding out about just how perfidiously he’s been mislead for half a decade, should be just another reason to do so. But all Alister feels now is pity. Things have changed. Tachyon's crimes cannot be undone, not in this timeline, but would he be able to hurt Percival now? He isn't certain. No. Surely not more than the Cragmite already hurt himself by getting lost in this fictional reality. His feelings right now are hard to put a finger on but looking at Tachyon this way is heart-breaking.  
  
“I’m sorry, Percival. I imagine this was not how your original plan went. You probably just wanted me dead, isn't that right?" Alister has a thought that it would have perhaps been for the better. Far simpler for sure. They wouldn’t be in this situation. He wouldn’t delude himself with false hopes of changing the history. He wouldn’t have been in a relationship with an android remotely controlled by Percival Tachyon for five years.  
  
“Y-yeah,” the Cragmite agrees through the tears. “I wanted you dead.” He remembers it all now. What a dumb plan it was. Was it ever really about killing Alister in the first place? Or just a subconscious fit of self-indulgence? Percival wipes his tears away, but they won’t stop coming. He had to go get everything he never knew he wanted and then lose it all. All he wants now is to just go back. To be Pietro again. To be happy with Alister. But he knows it will never happen. It was all a lie.  
  
Seeing the Cragmite this broken, Alister suddenly feels sorry for him. He kneels beside him, frowning.  
  
"Listen, Percival. You've fooled us both. You’ve pulled such a scheme on us that I don't even know what to think or do... but perhaps this is not entirely hopeless. Five years in I know this can't be just an ongoing evil scheme of yours anymore. You've changed. And you changed for the better. Working together we've done a lot of good. And we could do a lot more."  
  
Percival calms down, the gears in his brilliant brain start turning and he knows what the Lombax is up to. Azimuth wants to use this opportunity to his advantage. Percy can’t blame him. He can’t even stop him. Alister means too much to him now. “What do you want?”  
  
Just as Percival suspected, Alister speaks of Tachyon’s empire, of his significant, even if slightly dwindling influence over Polaris. Such a power should not be wasted when it could be used for good. For five years of their sabotage missions they have achieved a lot, but all these were small successes. With Tachyon’s imperial machine set into correct motion, they could work miracles. Things would not be the way they were before, but they would not be too bad either.  
  
“I know you want a different life, and you will have it. Not quite as a Lombax, but I guarantee it will be as thrilling.” Somewhere at the back of his mind, Alister still remembers about the Clock. But he also knows that it might be just a dream never to come true. Right here and now, for many reasons, this is the responsible thing to do.  
  
Percival doesn’t buy the reassurances, but he takes solace in Alister’s calm words and the fact he is not running away screaming or trying to kill him. “I will let you do as you please with the empire. I… don’t care anymore. I’ll do what you want.” Percival hangs his head apathetically, but at least he is done crying.  
  
Alister nods. For once, Tachyon is making a right decision.  
  
In the evening that day, Alister destroys the robot and the VR helmet, throwing them down into one of the lava pits. They stand there watching it drown and burn.  
  
Percival watches it attentively, feeling like he is drowning and burning together with it. Like a big part of him is dying until there is nothing left but a gaping hole. The tears don’t come this time, he just feels empty and hurt.  
  
Alister puts a hand on Percy’s shoulder, but Percival flinches and turns away, escaping.  
  
* * *  
  
A week later they return to Percy’s empire together. Percival introduces Alister as an ally and agent of the empire, his second in command with authority to act as he pleases. The bounty on him and all other Lombaxes, should they ever return to Polaris, is removed. It is a shock to the public, but Percival doesn’t care. After introducing Alister, giving him all necessary clearances and showing him around he sets to trying to pull his empire back together and avoids contact with Alister at all costs.  
  
He is still miserable about being himself and uncomfortable in his own body. It’s just like when he was young and everyone he came in contact with was bipedal, furry and big-eyed, while he was a strange bald crawly thing with an oversized head. He feels like a freak and he doesn’t want Alister near him, because it only intensifies his feelings of alienation and disgust with himself. Whenever their paths cross he escapes from Alister’s company and keeps to himself and his accumulated work. The empire is slowly rising from its knees. Alister also finds plenty to do to improve the lot of those under Percival’s rule and preserve what is worth keeping from the system Tachyon has established.  
  
A general again, after all these years, Azimuth is in his element once more. He pools resources and brings the military back into order, directing them to help the races Tachyon previously oppressed. He negotiates, forms new allainces and he seeks possibilities to lay the first foundations of a democratic government, slowly but steadily nudging Percy’s empire in that direction. But he also takes pleasure in finally having the real means to fight against Nefarious and Vorselon. He doesn’t attack them yet, merely fends them off the planets belonging to the Tachyon empire, where they tried to spread their influence during Percival’s Lombax adventure. It still comes as a shock - Nefrious and Percival had an unwritten understanding they leave each other in peace. After the frontiers are secured, Alister focuses on making the territories under their rule a better place to live for everyone.  
  
Months pass this way, with both of them ever busy, but Percival’s elusive demeanor doesn’t escape Alister’s notice. They work together, discuss plans for the empire and attend councils with various officials, but the Cragmite always makes himself scarce at first chance of a non-professional exchange.  
  
Alister doesn’t try to do anything about it at first. He takes time to think everything through. There’s no denying that he’d grown to love Pietro. Spending five years with someone can’t be easily forgotten. But after the fiasco when he found out the truth, he tried to forget about it. He tried to tell himself that Pietro died - and at first it seemed that this way was easier, for both him and Percival. That it was something to be left in the past, never mentioned again. Their unspoken agreement even now is that all of it would be best undone. Alister lived by that creed for twenty odd years, but now Percival shares it too. And even though they run this new empire together, and try to steer the galaxy towards a better future, Percival still searches for the Clock like Pietro had, and Alister never stops him. He can’t so easily give up on the only hope that drove him all these years.  
  
But it’s been so long. Perhaps they might never find it. Maybe it will not work, even if they do. And so just in case, Alister continues his efforts of restoring Polaris to its former glory. Life in the system improves and the work makes him feel alive.  
  
Months pass but the Clock is still beyond their reach. And finally Alister can’t lie to himself any longer. What they have, is here and now. The one behind Pietro is still here. He sees him almost everyday, downcast and tired, ashamed of his past and of himself, trying to undo all the mistakes he’d ever made. Slowly, Alister lets himself reach back to the memories of the past years. He recollects the time they spent together, their adventures and conversations.  
  
After the truth came out, he felt that he’d been lied to all this time. But in a way that wasn’t true. Looking back it is clear to him now that many of the things Percival told him then were the Cragmite’s own impressions of life as a misfit, and the dreams of belonging that Pietro had, were also the Cragmite’s own.  
  
In the end, Alister realizes he is ready to acknowledge that he has feelings for Percival. And he finds that he is not afraid of this realization.  
  
One evening when Percy tries to skitter past him in the corridor, Alister blocks his way, and casually chats him up about his day. It’s been too long since they talked, hasn’t it? And isn’t it nice, but how about they move somewhere more comfortable. Percival’s rooms are nearby after all.  
  
They walk there together, Percival clearly anxious and looking for the nearest opening to still somehow flee, which Alister responds to with amusement rather than worry. He’s made up his mind and they need to talk. Like this, they reach Percy’s rooms.  
  
“You know, I’m really tired. Maybe we should talk some other time?”  
  
“Na-ah, you’re perfectly fine. The way you were sprinting ahead of me all the while, I’d say you’re full of energy.” Alister smirks down at him and waves his hand towards the door. “After you, your imperial majesty.”  
  
Percival resigns and opens the door, letting both of them in. He invites Alister to sit in an armchair and crawls into another one. After a moment Percy remembers his manners and also offers refreshments, but Alister doesn’t want any. The Cragmite falls silent, not making eye contact and looking uneasy.  
  
“Well, since you’re quiet, I’ll start. You’re avoiding me like the plague. This can’t continue, Percival, and it ends now. I consider you my friend, and I hope I am yours as well.”  
  
“How can you!?” Percival leans forward, looking at him with open sadness and pain. “How can you consider me a friend after all I’ve done? You trusted me before, you gave me the respect and friendship _no one_ else ever did and I ruined your life! How can we be friends?”  
  
Alister looks at him seriously for a moment. “How? I will tell you how. It took me long and it was hard enough to embrace but I know than in all your actions, you’ve had a reason. You’ve deceived and destroyed those you thought deserved it. But who knows what I’d have done if I were in your place? Yes, you should have tried to learn more about the history before acting out your plans, but I guess the history is always written by the winners, so I see why you’d have your doubts with no other proof at hand. I might still want to change what happened because those you killed were almost like family to me. But I have been with you for five years, Percival. I don’t care if you never meant for it to happen, or that you called yourself Pietro. It was you behind that Lombax, and I know you. You are no longer the same, revenge driven Cragmite you’ve been. You are not the tyrant anymore. You have a lot of regrets, and it makes it easier to forgive you, even if I’ll never forget. You’re doing a lot of good, helping me restore the galaxy. And you are dear to me, Percy. So how is it going to be, are you going to keep insulting me by fleeing and hiding, or are we going to run this empire side by side? As friends. To start with.”  
  
Percival watches him wide-eyed, particularly at the last part. “You are a dear friend, Alister. The only Lombax friend I ever had… I can’t believe you would forgive me, but if that’s how you feel, I would be a fool not to take advantage…” He grows embarrassed. “I mean, I would like to be your friend, of course…” He mumbles and at the same time relaxes. For the first time in months, Percival smiles.  
  
Alister smiles as well. He seems relieved. “Good. Because I’d rather kiss a Drophyd than give another speech like this.”  
  
“I did not know your tastes are so exotic.” Percival chuckles.  
  
They laugh together for the first time in months and they talk freely for a while longer. But when it’s the time to say their goodbyes, and Alister reaches out towards Percy in a friendly gesture, the Cragmite escapes, crawling a foot away from him. Alister just sighs and decides not to pressure him.    
  
Some time passes. Percy is still avoiding Alister, but much less. Sometimes they chat casually, but the Cragmite keeps to himself for the most part. Until one day he seeks Alister out. He takes him to his lab and presents to him a plan of the Great Clock. His scouts have found it, went as far in as they could. The Zoni are guarding it and the main chamber remains inaccessible but it could of course be broken into. Even though everyone warns them that the Clock is meant to keep time, that it is not used to be a time machine, Percival is confident that it could be remade into one. He could do it.  
  
Tachyon hangs his head and without looking at Alister proposes. “So if you want to undo everything that happened: my deception… or, well, both of them, the tragedy on Fastoon… all of it… we can find a way past the defences, and I can make adjustments to the Clock. Then you can go back and remove me from the picture once and for all.”  
  
Alister’s joy at finding the Clock is instantly clouded. As he looks at Percival, instead of elation, he feels deep sadness. The idea of changing the history that he’s been obsessed with has seemed so righteous once, there was no doubt about the fact it had to be done. But now he is no longer so convinced. The universe seems to have found its balance again. Life goes on in Polaris. The Lombaxes are still somewhere out there and could be found perhaps. The venture to go back begins to feel somewhat selfish and unfair.  
  
“You could find the Kreeli comet and destroy the egg before I’m even hatched.” Percival continues meanwhile, shrugging and looking apathetic. “Won’t be much of a murder then.”  
  
At that statement something breaks in Alister. The idea of killing Percival appals him. And he cannot bear to hear Percival so completely accepting to just never be born. Even if Tachyon deserves it for what he’s done, even if the world would be a better place for it, Alister is no longer able to see it so clearly. The choices are no longer so obvious, what happened no longer all black and white.  
  
“Don’t say such things.” Alister shakes his head. The Clock has been found and it is not going anywhere. He can think about time travelling later. Overtaken by emotions, he drops down to his knee and embraces the Cragmite angrily. “Don’t ever say such a thing, you stupid Cragmite. If I were to go, I would find another way. I wouldn’t give you access to the Archives again, but I would never kill you. Damnit, Percy. I couldn’t.” He strokes the Cragmite’s back as he holds onto him.  
  
Percival desperately tries to push him away, avoiding eye contact, but Alister only holds him tighter. They haven’t been so close to each other since leaving Torren IV. Alister’s barely ever touched the Cragmite before.  
  
“Let me go. It would be better for everyone if you did. Better for you, too.” Percival doesn’t stop struggling.  
  
“Maybe you’re right.” Alister says but doesn’t let go. He feels a terrible unrest at the thought of losing Percival. He cares a lot for the Cragmite and even though the Clock turned out to be real, this feels somehow more important. “But I’ve never really listened to good advice.” He rests his fingers on Percival’s cheek and turns Percy’s face towards him, looking at him with deep affection.

Percy finally stops writhing, but when he looks back at Alister it is only with sadness. The Cragmite calms down and lowers his eyes. After a moment he gently tries to wriggle out of Alister’s embrace.  
  
But Alister confidently holds him in his arms. When Percival finally stops trying to escape, he strokes his cheek and murmurs, “Here’s something I should have done long ago.” With that, Alister leans down to gently kiss Percy.  
  
Percy shudders and tries to push him away, but it doesn’t work and after a moment he stops struggling. He can’t believe it is happening. He isn’t even happy that it is, he’s too shocked for that. So when Alister finally lets him go he withdraws and watches the Lombax warily.  
  
“Why would you do this? I’m a Cragmite!”  
  
Alister lets him go and looks at him with plain amusement. “No, really? I wouldn’t have guessed!” He’s no longer sad. He’s decided to postpone thinking about the Clock. Perhaps for quite some time. “Well, why do you think I did it? You’re the local genius here, I’m sure it can’t be that hard to explain.”  
  
“Clearly,” the Cragmite starts with a sneer, “the revelation about my android was too much for you and you have become unhinged. Who am I allowing to run my empire?!” Percival throws his thin arms up and glares. He doesn’t believe Alister could genuinely be interested. “I have nothing more to give you. I told you, if you want the clock, you’ll have it. You already have power. So what else do you want? There’s no need to try and win my favor. Just tell me what you want and you’ll have it. No strings attached.”  
  
Alister’s smile doesn’t go away anywhere. He gets up but looks down at Percival fondly. “Well, let’s see...” Aliter makes a ponderous expression, and pretends to think for a while, “Oh, right. I might just want my lover back. How about that? It’s been too long, don’t you think?”  
  
“You threw your lover into lava!” The Cragmite snaps up at him.  
  
“Who wouldn’t?” Despite the subject of their conversation, bickering with Percival, Alister feels happier and more light hearted than he had in a long time. He smiles at him mischievously, “Would you keep a creepily life-like bio-mechanical Cragmite if the roles were reversed? Somehow I don’t think so.”  
  
Percival blanks out for a moment, processing the imaginary scenario. At least he stops being angry. After a moment the tension leaves him and he looks at Alister searchingly and with some hesitation, but without any hostility.  
  
Alister holds his eyes, smile never fading but growing gentler, as does his tone when he speaks.  “We’ve been together for half a decade, Percival. Is it so strange for an old Lombax to get attached?”  
  
Percival’s expression also softens and for once there is a hint of warmth there. A kind of acceptance. Then it fades and he looks away. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”  
  
“It might not be the best one, yes. But that doesn’t change the way I feel. Now, how about we get out of here, hm? Get some more or less fresh air.”  
  
The Cragmite shrugs, giving a noncommittal nod.  
  
And so they exit the lab, leaving the plans behind.  
  
From that day Percy stops avoiding Alister. Slowly their banter from the times when Tachyon was pretending to be a Lombax returns. Percival’s smugness resurfaces now and then, he doesn’t seem depressed anymore. Now and then Alister glimpses the same little smiles and longing looks he had once observed on the Lombax android. Percival clearly still has feelings for him, and after Alister reassured him, he is not trying to bury them anymore.  
  
They start spending more time together, working on political issues, figuring out various tricky situations that arise as Tachyon’s empire is being drastically restructured. 

Percival appreciates a challenge. His search for the Dimensionator is completely abandoned. In their five years together Alister had convinced him that the Cragmites that had once terrorized the galaxy had little in common with Percival’s idealized vision of them. Without a purpose of his own, Tachyon is ready to commit to the one Alister offers him - a more just, stable and safe galaxy. They begin planning a new defence system together. A real one this time. Their joint efforts are becoming more and more visible with each passing week, the question on what to do about the Clock constantly postponed.

  
One day, when they are alone, resting together, and Alister feels the time is right, he moves into Percival’s private space again. The Cragmite gets uneasy, but doesn’t push him away or escape. He shrinks self-consciously, voicing his doubts. How could Alister ever want to be with a creature as disgusting? But Alister chuckles and says that he could as well ask Percy the same question. They are different species, that’s all. Alister had a lot of time to think it through, and he’s confident about what he’s doing.  
  
Percival mumbles about Lombaxes not being alien to him, he grew up among them after all. But Alister holds him close and Tachyon’s doubts are allayed. When Alister kisses him he doesn’t withdraw and after a moment he reciprocates the kiss. Alister caresses him and soothingly assures him that he wants him, Cragmite or not. Percy clings to him and after hugging it out for a while he finally lets his defenses down and tells Alister that he loves him.  
  
* * *  
  
Months pass, Alister’s title in the empire is extended with the addition of “imperial consort”.  
  
The empire is getting stronger by the day, and Nefarious is getting his butt kicked all around the place and forced out of some of the conquered planets. Tachyon’s - and as a result Alister’s - influence spreads outside of Polaris and into other galaxies. Instead of bringing tyranny the empire offers unity and protection for smaller worlds, that cannot stand their ground on their own. Percival’s inventive genius is revived and he produces marvelous military tech, that gives their troops more reach and better firepower.  
  
Percival and Alister are together again, just like when Percy was pretending to be a Lombax. They chat, they laugh at Nefarious, they work together and sleep together. By now they are completely used to each other’s alien features and comfortable with each other. Percy’s self-esteem has also risen from the ashes and he starts flirting with Alister, even more so when he gets a positive response. They are happy together.

  
Then one night Alister decides to experiment a little and something he does in bed causes Percy to get restless with excitement. Both of them are surprised and unsure about the implications of this peculiar reaction, but Tachyon’s mind is more preoccupied with how good it feels and how much he wants Alister right now, so they carry on as usual. In the middle of the night he wakes Alister up for another go. Something is off, but he’s not hurt, only unusually excitable. When they are done the Cragmite falls asleep instantly and Alister shrugs it off with amusement.  
  
Some weeks later Percival starts showing small signs of anxiety, but doesn’t speak up about it. Alister is concerned and when one morning Percy suddenly skitters out of bed to the bathroom and then instantly to the lab, the Lombax follows him. He finds Percy next to the incinerator. Tachyon turns around in horror, hiding something behind his back, trying to stealthily open the incinerator and throw the towel-wrapped object in there, but Alister notices that and rushes in, stopping him. He wants to know what Percy is hiding, what is going on.  
  
Percival is ashamed and terrified. He tells Alister that it’s nothing, he just needs to destroy some trash. But Alister demands to see what it is.  
  
Fearful and upset Percy passes the towel to him.  
  
There’s six Cragmite eggs in it.  
  
Alister looks at them wide-eyed as he sees Percy’s anxiety from the past weeks in a whole new light. It’s crazy but neither of them really had a way to know much about the way Cragmites reproduced. Alister realizes that he’s never really seen any mentions of females in the old war reports. It suddenly starts making more sense.  
  
“Are these… are these our…”  
  
“Yes… and well, no, I mean… I have no idea if they… hatch. Maybe they are blanks.” Percival avoids eye contact, shrinking and acting nervous, like the months of progress never happened and his self-esteem is gone back to negative infinity. “Just… incinerate them and let’s forget this even happened…”  
  
“No. No, Percival.” Alister shakes his head decisively, as he kneels next to the Cragmite with the towel in his arms. He looks at the Cragmite and at the eggs, and he smiles back at Percy softly, looking touched, “I’ve... always wanted to be a father.”  
  
Percival looks at him uneasily. “They might not hatch.”  
  
Alister keeps smiling warmly. He feels happy. “Well, we’ll never know that unless we let them try. You should have told me, Percy.”  
  
The Cragmite finally relaxes. “I thought… I thought you would freak out and abandon me. I’m sorry.” Percy looks away guiltily. “I had no idea this could happen.”  
  
“Abandon you? Because… Oh Percy, you’re so clueless sometimes.” Mindful of the eggs, Alister pulls the Cragmite close. “You couldn’t have known this would happen but well, we’re here and we should give these little ones a best chance at hatching.” He lets Percy go, and arches an eyebrow at him, “So do you think you feel well enough to help me build an incubator?”  
  
“Of course. I mean what is there to build, it’s not rocket science. I could build a robot army in my sleep.” The Cragmite gives the eggs a doubtful look, but when he looks up at Alister relief is evident in his expression. “Let’s go.”  
  
* * *  
  
Scans reveal that there are hatchlings in the eggs. So the two leave them be, having installed all sorts of sensors to know the moment something starts happening.  
  
One day an alarm goes off. Alister and Percy rush to see the first egg start cracking and rocking back and forth. After a little struggle a Cragpole emerges. Percival doesn’t know how to feel, staring at the little thing blankly. The whole parenting thing doesn’t really sit well with him. He looks to Alister and finds the Lombax overjoyed. Alister takes off his gloves, reaches out towards the Cragpole and gently picks it up. A moment later the Cragpole is crawling over his shoulders, trying to bite his ears. Alister laughs and carefully takes it off of himself. Another egg comes into motion and soon they have two Cragpoles to deal with. Percival is still not sure how he feels about it, but Alister is very glad and Tachyon takes comfort in that. The third Cragpole that hatches has tiny bits of white fluff here and there. Percival and Alister are bewildered, but share a smile.  
  
The other eggs remain immobile and they pick the little Cragmites away to let them hatch in peace. With three Cragpoles to deal with the two find themselves glad not all six eggs hatched at once. Luckily, they are both very good at science, so with a bit of research and common sense they manage to figure things out and take good care of the little ones. Percival still doesn’t feel any kind of parental instinct, but he doesn’t hate his offspring, so he decides it’s a start and rolls with that. Alister is extremely happy. Being a father comes naturally to him. Between the two of them and countless robot helpers they do a pretty good job.

  
One day Alister finally makes up his mind and he tells Percival that he doesn’t want to turn back the time anymore. What’s done is done. He is happy here, the Lombaxes are still somewhere out there, and maybe one day they will return. Perhaps if him and Percy find the Dimensionator, then they could even contact them. If they wish to return, then Polaris will be a safe and welcoming place. If they don’t, then Alister is happy to grow old here, with Percy, raising their children and making the galaxy a good place to live for all the races.  
  
Percival has remained ever aware of the fact Alister might yet want to use the Clock, but now his doubts are finally lifted and he can stop worrying about that. He hugs Alister and they share a tender moment.  
  
Several more weeks pass before the remaining eggs crack. Percival and Alister stand together watching another little Cragpole with fluff emerge from his or her shell. Percy takes this one, giving his child a quizzical look. Then he passes the hatchling to Alister. Meanwhile the two remaining eggs crack very slowly. Concerned, Percy expects to see sickly runts like himself. Instead a little fluffy foot pushes through the cracked egg shell.  
  
Percival and Alister stare in shock as what looks like a Lombax cub emerges from the shell, long ears drooping tiredly. The parents exchange looks of disbelief. The little Lombax mewls and tries to move around with eyes closed.  
  
“Is that normal?” Percival asks warily.  
  
“For a Lombax, yes, yes it is.” Alister replies, still in deep shock himself.  
  
Percival picks the little Lombax up as delicately as he can. The infant is fuzzy and white and Percival can’t believe he somehow took part in producing this tiny furry creature. It looks like a mini Alister and for once the Cragmite can’t help but feel sort of attached. Then he instantly feels guilty for having not bonded with those of his offspring that look more like himself. Way to go, Tachyon, treat your own kids as freaks, good job. Percival makes a resolution to try and raise all of them with equal care and make sure nobody feels weird or excluded like he had in his own youth.  
  
A second Lombax hatches. Alister and Percival exchange happy amazed looks.  
  
“Well, that’s three more names to come up with.”  
  
* * *  
  
They have to keep the Cragpoles and Lombaxes apart, even though upon inspection it turns out all of them are hybrids and not pure representatives of their species. The more Cragmite-like kids develop and grow much quicker than their Lombax-like siblings. They crawl livelily from day one, biting everything, including one another. But that seems to be their normal behavior, and they don’t injure each other, so Alister and Percival let them do it. Alister quickly sets to teaching and raising the lot of them, giving the younger fluffy duo some time to catch up as they spend most of their days snoozing, eating and growing.

* * *

  
Several years later Guinevere, the eldest Cragmite child, has grown taller than Alister. Cragmites seem to only have one sex, but the Warrior type Cragmite is a complete sweetheart and is more comfortable with feminine ways and pastimes, gladly helping with babysitting her smaller less matured siblings. A towering but shy daddy’s girl, she follows Alister around and is his right-hand person when it comes to looking after the lot of her siblings, using her size and strength to keep order among the others when they are up to mischief.  
  
The two most Lombax-like kids, Gawain and Vivien, are a handful. Turns out all of them have Cragmite teleportation powers and with six of them there sometimes things get really out of control. The fuzzy Cragmites, Tristan and Lancelot, both Hunter type, keep inventing things under Percival’s supervision. The second-oldest Cragmite, Lamorak, develops into a smaller creature more like Percival, but still manages to outgrow Tachyon. The scheming and maniacal laughter really went into the one, and Percival can’t help but feel proud, when he reads them all bedtime stories and Lamorak laughs in unison with him.  
  
Alister and Percival don’t call the children “Lombaxes” and “Cragmites” instead using “Lomites” for the lot of them, teaching them they are all different, but all the same family, same nation.  
  
Running an empire and raising the lot of them is quite a challenge, but they are up to it. And when one night Alister asks Percival if he wouldn’t want to have more children, Tachyon rolls his eyes, grins and says “Let’s do it.”

* * *

 

 

**Epilogue**

Eventually Percy finds the Dimensionator and also Ratchet. Ratchet is pretty shocked to discover there’s another Lombax in the galaxy and like over a dozen half-Lombaxes too. Ratchet and Clank are welcome, but decide to only drop by once in a while (too bewildered by this humongous family they just walked into). Alister explains everything that had happened on Fastoon to Ratchet, admitting his own mistakes and Percival’s past crimes, but seeking Ratchet’s forgiveness. They part on friendly terms.

Using the Dimensionator Percival establishes contact with the Lombaxes, offering them to return to Polaris. A few brave souls decide to take him up on the offer, and Lombaxes trickle back into the galaxy. Some of them are outraged by the recent developments and return back to the other dimension. Others are more open-minded and re-settle on Fastoon and on other worlds.

Together with other Lombaxes and Percival Alister helps build a more stable device for inter-dimensional travel, allowing for more Lombaxes to arrive and go back should the need arise. They also make cautious contact with the Cragmites. It doesn’t go as smoothly, but a conversation between Percival’s race and Polaris starts, so the future holds hope of a peaceful co-existence for all.

The end.

* * *

 

Some more random illustrations below. For even more crazy Percival/Alister content visit our NSFW wacky blogs on tumblr: [here](http://tears4lube.tumblr.com/) and [here](http://ifailedthem.tumblr.com/).

 

And also a curiosity; in the begining we planned an alernative scenario, where Alister finds out that Pietro is in fact Percival and uses it to his advantage, sending Pietro in his "remotely controlled Cragmite body" to run the empire the way Alister needs it to be. That was supposed to last for a few months possibly, and was supposed to end with Nefarious attacking the Tachyon empire and Percival getting severely wounded (this is when Alister would drop the charade and rescue him, starting to work on his identity problems). We didn't go with that scenario because even though Alister is capable of doing calculated, cold things, this still seemed out of character. But we thought maybe you'd find this interesting ;) Oh and for those of you wondering why Percy lays eggs and what's up with his gender in this fanfic anyway. If you remember, in the game, after you kill Cragmites... Cragpoles fall out of them. Now, go and figure :P Looks like all Cragmites have... a hidden potential ;)


	2. Time Travel AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alister kills Ratchet and doesn't manage to travel back in time. Somebody else does, though...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There might be some time travel related plot holes and we're sorry for them, but hey, ain’t the games full of them anyway XD?
> 
> All drawings done by us. Some are kinda nsfw so beware ;)
> 
> Warnings: Some non-con in this one cause Percy's an asshole :P Slight warning for humiliation and torture, it's not descriptive though.

 * * *

* * *

For the setting of this AU, we kind of merge the _Tools of Destruction_ and _A Crack in Time_ games. Tachyon winds up in possession of the Dimensionator just like in the canon, but he doesn't get pulled into another dimension. Instead, after confrontation with Ratchet he manages to escape and during the events of _A Crack in Time_ he is watching the whole ensuing venture of Ratchet and Alister from the side. Quite convinced that they cannot really turn back the time, at least not far enough to foil his plans, Percival spies on them as they enter the Orvus Chamber. And when Alister kills Ratchet in a fit of rage (Clank tries to protect Ratchet but is destroyed in the process) and then fails to make the Great Clock work, finding out he is unable to go back in time and save Fastoon, Tachyon is overjoyed. He reveals himself and parades into the unsealed chamber with his troops.

Realizing what he has just done, and that he cannot even undo killing the son of his best friend, Alister is so broken that when Tachyon’s minions surround him, he just lets them capture him without any struggle.

Tachyon is triumphant. He has his new prisoner transported to his headquarters on Reepor, where for weeks he keeps him caged, chained or leashed, parading him around the place, mostly naked, to shame him and show him off victoriously in front of his subjects. He presents general Azimuth to everyone as the Lombax who solved all his problems - first by betraying his own kind when he trusted Tachyon with the Lombax technology, and then by killing the one Lombax Tachyon tried so hard to get rid of. Alister Azimuth, the true tool of destruction. He keeps mockingly thanking the Lombax for his hard work and all the services rendered to the Tachyon empire and takes every occasion to rub all of Azimuth’s mistakes and failures into the former general’s face.

However, after having dragged Alister around the whole place naked and bound, having thrown rotten fruit and various small objects at him, and otherwise humiliated him in public and in private, Tachyon finally gets pretty bored.

Alister is too crestfallen and depressed to react to the abuse anymore and most of the time he plainly ignores Tachyon. From the very start of his captivity, he never even displayed anger at Percival’s insults. He seems to accept everything that happens to him, convinced he deserves it. He blames himself for everything, even for what Percival credits himself with - according to Azimuth it is all his fault anyway. If only he’d listened to Kaden’s warnings and didn’t blindly trust a Cragmite, like the fool he was... if only he didn’t give in to his obsession afterwards. If not for him, Fastoon wouldn’t lie in ruins, the races of Polaris would be free of the opressor… blah blah and so on - if Azimuth ever opens his mouth, and he nearly never does, it’s pretty much the only thing that comes out of it and Percival is fed up with it.

Alister Azimuth is a being real bore and a huge disappointment as far as entertainment goes.

The only thing that still gets some sort of miserable reaction out of him is bringing up the matter of Ratchet’s death. And so Tachyon does, over and over again, but after a while that is also starting to get old.

One evening Percival is reclining on his giant bed, mocking his “court jester” and tugging on his leash now and then, hoping for some kind of response, but it’s not working particularly well. Percy’s getting bored half to death. Incredibly frustrated with the depressed Lombax, he uses the Ratchet card again to make Azimuth at least pay attention.

  


Being reminded of his failure once again, Alister doesn’t even look at the Cragmite, just resignedly asks why Tachyon won’t just kill him. Percy snorts and complains that now that there’s only one Lombax left to have revenge on ever - thanks to Azimuth himself, by the way, - he doesn’t feel like killing him off so easily.

The truth is, Percival never really wanted Azimuth dead; he spared his life back on Fastoon, and even though Azimuth had been pestering the empire with his rebel activities over the years, he’s just one little buzzing fly - no real satisfaction in killing him for Tachyon. It's been rather fun watching him try to make a difference. This is what actually entertains the Cragmite emperor - Azimuth alive and struggling. But lately all of Azimuth’s struggles seem to have been taking place in the Lombax’s own mind, not showing on the outside.

If only he could find a way to make him squirm.

The logical thing is to torture the Lombax, but well, he had Azimuth tortured before and it was only that much fun. He needs a new way to make the Lombax react. And as he stares at him naked and bound on the floor, a new, curious idea comes to mind. He crawls over to his prisoner and studies him up close. Thoughtfully, he reaches out and takes Alister’s ear into his hand, rubbing it experimentally. He remembers that it might be something pretty outrageous to do from his fading memory of Lombax anatomy classes he attended back on Fastoon.

Alister reacts with anger and disgust, and it’s exactly what Percival was waiting for.

  


Encouraged to see there is still some way to get under the Lombax’s skin, he only pokes him more, stroking his fur and tugging on it. When he moves to petting the Lombax’s face, Azimuth hisses at him to get away and then lashes out, trying to headbutt the Cragmite. Tachyon will however have none of that. He shrieks for his robots to throw Alister on the bed.

There he continues his intrusions, gripping Azimuth’s tail and rubbing at its base to check for a response. The Lombax tries kicking him off, but Percival yells for his robot servants to restrain him and the captive gets bound even more.

Tachyon is very pleased by now - his jester is finally being entertaining. He crawls on top of Alister and gets his face unpleasantly close to the Lombax’s, smirking at the fallen general, before renewing his assault on the ears. Willing to try new things for the sake of toying with his angry captive, he doesn’t resort to just touching but also bites the Lombax here and there. His victim writhes, and fumes with rage and Tachyon is overjoyed.

Alister realizes, although way too late, that he is only encouraging his captor by reacting and reins himself in, trying to stay still. Percy tries to coax Azimuth into some more twitching by both touch and a good deal of insults. He mocks Azimuth’s private parts, cause _would you look at that - Lombax junk just hangs out like that -_ _what primitive anatomy_! But the prisoner doesn’t show any more reaction.

Seeing that, Tachyon gets unnerved and decides to play a different game. He has his way with Azimuth for real now, first fucking the general with his tail and then, deciding to be generous, taking the bound Lombax properly. All that sure has Azimuth squirming and cursing quite a bit again. Tachyon is very, very pleased to elicit such a reaction.

When he is done, he states that Azimuth has finally become useful. (Not that he wasn’t before - first by handing Lombax secrets over to him and then by killing Ratchet, his best friend’s son...) He observes the Lombax intently and seeing him turning apathetic again, but interestingly still remaining somewhat horny, judging by the response of that primitive anatomy at least, Tachyon decides to push this experiment a little further. Feeling unusually benevolent he gives Azimuth a handjob and then even tries a bit of oral.

  


Outraged and resigned Alister finally asks why Tachyon can’t go fuck with some Cragmites, since he already has a Dimensionator and thus a way to bring them back (he knows Tachyon succeeded in bringing some Cragmites back a while back). That gives Tachyon only the slightest pause. Truth is, Percival is very disappointed in his own race. Back when he's just found the Dimensionator and summoned several Cragmites, he got severely disenchanted by their behaviour. Not only have they refused to acknowledge him as their rightful ruler and Crown Prince and gave him no respect whatsoever but they also had the gall to mock him and call him... oh nevermind.

Anyway, by now he knows that their exile was truly for the better of the galaxy, and he doesn’t even feel so good about being a Cragmite anymore. But he would never admit it of course. So he just tells Azimuth that he wants to fuck him out of malice and since he has no malice for other Cragmites, there’s obviously no point in fucking them.

When all is said and done, Tachyon reclines beside the Lombax, snickers and ridicules him some more for good measure. “So you used to be a four-bolt magistrate? Now, that sounds a lot like a cheap, four-bolt whore, you know? So where do I transfer the four bolts, Lombax? Do you even have a bank account? Or do you take cash?”

He leaves after that but comes back every evening to harass Alister some more.

It continues for a while and each day the Lombax seems even more depressed than before. Azimuth stops reacting whatsoever to anything the Cragmite does and Percy finds that he isn’t getting as many kicks out of this as he had expected.

And now that he thinks of it, that’s his overall impression on his victory too. What initially felt like a triumph, quickly turned to boredom and even mild blues. He misses being faced with an actual challenge.

After another fortnight passes, Azimuth can’t take it any longer and finally tries to take his own life. He is prevented from doing that of course and watched even closer afterwards. But the attempt surprises Percival - he has underestimated just how much Alister lost his will to live. That kind of reminds him of his own lack of motivation to go on and makes him do some more thinking. He tries to come up with a way to both prevent the Lombax from such foolish endeavors and drag some more reaction out of Azimuth in the long term and… he gets a brilliant idea.

He tells Azimuth, quite truthfully, that Ratchet’s death, while instrumental to cementing his rule over Polaris has also left him quite bored, and that well, he would actually prefer to have a foe to hunt again. He says he could figure out a way to use the Clock to bring Ratchet back.

That gets Azimuth’s attention.

The Lombax disbelieves at first. He’s found out first hand that the Clock could not be used as a time machine. But Tachyon boldly claims that he could reprogram it to become one - he could always do things no one else could. And even though Tachyon loves to boast, Alister knows this claim to actually be true. Remembering just how genius an inventor Percival was even back in his days on Fastoon, the Lombax is all ears.

However Percy tells him that nothing is for free, and that if he is to bring Ratchet back, Azimuth should offer him something in return. Alister asks him what he wants, and the Cragmite emperor says that well, he wishes to be entertained, he wants Alister to do anything he says, to worship him, tell him he is the greatest, not let him get bored ever again and hmm, also pass onto him all Lombax technology Percy doesn’t yet have. Azimuth is disbelieving but agrees. He's already suffered humiliation and he is willing to suffer more to undo at least one of his dreadful mistakes, and to give Ratchet back the life he was never supposed to lose.

The Lombax, rather boldly, makes a condition of his own though. Tachyon is not going to keep Ratchet captive, he will just let him go. Tachyon shrugs and agrees, because why not, he can always re-capture Ratchet later. The second the theoretical deal is struck, he springs to his insect feet and briskly crawls away to start working on the Clock modifications. He is filled with joy at the perspective of this new, ambitious challenge.

They said that it is only safe to turn the time six minutes back. But he will prove them all wrong with his Cragmite superiority. He _is_ the _Conqueror of Space and Time_ after all!

He takes a small troop with him and visits the Clock that very night, entering the Orvus Chamber thanks to the fragments of Clank’s body, that he has preserved; they act as a key, letting him in. He spends many hours there, drafting schematics.

For several next days Tachyon still keeps Azimuth in his bedroom but the Lombax is no longer completely chained, and Percival is mostly away. Alister doesn’t know what to think about anything anymore. Another day Tachyon comes over and just drops next to him on the bed, complaining about technical difficulties with the project. Azimuth is shocked to realize Tachyon is actually working on it, that he wasn’t lying like he expected him to. Filled with hope that Ratchet could really be brought back, the Lombax starts praising Percy’s intellect, he calls him the most brilliant mind in the galaxy, says he knows that if anyone can tackle this project, it surely has to be Emperor Tachyon, tells him that he always admired his genius, even back when they first met-

“Enough, just shut up.”

Percy turns away and looks grumpy. The Lombax’s words strike him as too desperate a flattery, and it hurts to realize it’s all probably fanciful lies. Ha, not even probably. The Cragmite doesn’t believe Alister could mean what he says, and keeps being mopey. They spend a long moment in silence. Then Percival glances at the Lombax and sees Alister’s downcast face and lowered ears. It's Azimuth's permanent, default expression these days.

Annoyed, he tells the Lombax to look happier - it was their deal that he should be doing as Percy says if he wants Ratchet back among the living. The smile that Azimuth manages to put on looks even more painfully miserable and Percy guilt-trips a little. Grumpily telling the Lombax not to try anything, he takes his remaining shackles and collar off. Azimuth is surprised. Deciding to push his luck he asks if he could maybe get some clothes too.

“Ok, fine.” Percy is just fed up with the Lombax’s constant misery. Knowing that Azimuth won’t try to kill him now that he has such high hopes involving him, he turns his back on the Lombax and asks for a backrub. Alister arches an eyebrow but complies.

  


Tachyon melts against Azimuth and praises him, says he’s much better at this than Qwark ever was. Apparently, he really is because barely a minute passes before Percy gets some excellent idea and suddenly darts off, back to work on the Clock with new enthusiasm and energy.

While Percival works on making time travel possible, Alister's existence considerably improves. Tachyon doesn't invade his private space anymore, and he's mostly away in his labs or at the site of the Clock, which gives the Lombax a new hope. He realizes, to his surprise, that he really believes in Tachyon, just like he did years ago on Fastoon. With a mind like that, and combined technology of Lombaxes and Cragmites at his disposal, Percival might truly be able to succeed in what he had failed.

Somewhere on the way, Alister tries talking to the Cragmite again and gets Percy to agree that he will let Ratchet not only go free, but that he will let him into the dimension where the Lombaxes hid. To his continued surprise, Tachyon agrees, and even though Azimuth has no idea what the Cragmite's word is worth these days, it makes him feel some sort of twisted gratitude towards Percival.

One day Tachyon comes to Azimuth asking for help with some schematics and equations of the Lombax-specific nature, and after Alister explains how to solve the problem, Tachyon offhandedly tells him, “Oh and by the way, Ratchet’s here, just saying...”

Alister cannot believe what he’s just heard. He asks Tachyon to prove it to him and Percy shows him some live camera footage from one of the prison cells.

  


Percy managed to change the timeline so that when Ratchet fell to his death, Tachyon’s minions and physicians were already waiting to catch him and heal him. Ratchet spent those few months locked up in Tachyon’s keep, to ensure he wouldn't mess in the current timeline, but he was treated well and all in all he is safe and sound. Alister all but tears up and he outright hugs Percival and thanks him, until finally Percy wriggles out of that embrace, feeling strange and uncomfortable.

Tachyon flees the room and some time later he invites Azimuth to watch as Ratchet is kicked out to the Lombax dimension, together with Clank whom Tachyon repaired and even upgraded, mostly out of boredom (based on Clank’s construction he created another item that would continue serving him as a key to the Orvus Chamber, and so Clank is no longer essential).

Earlier, he has asked Alister if the Lombax wanted to talk to the boy before his departure, but Alister decided it’s for the better if they didn't see each other. He doesn’t want Ratchet to know about anything that’s happened, and to have to explain his own awkward situation. It’s enough for him to know that Kaden’s son is alive, and can rejoin his kin.

Weeks pass.

Alister is still technically a prisoner but he has his own quarters now and within the premises of Percival's keep he is free to go around as he pleases. Even though Azimuth low key expects that any day now Tachyon is going to start ordering him around again, at the very least, that never happens. It seems like his status of a captive has changed, but Azimuth isn't quite sure how. Sometimes the Cragmite requests his assistance in the labs. Some other times he is invited to dine with Tachyon, all this to the puzzlement of both Alister and Percival's servants. On a few of those occasions they actually get caught up in a conversation, discussing various matters. Azimuth is baffled to see that Tachyon is actually interested in hearing his opinion.

As far as other things go, the Cragmite emperor doesn't lay a finger on him anymore and avoids getting into his private space. Sometimes for reasons unknown he flees from his presence altogether. After a while it becomes quite clear to Azimuth that the Cragmite regrets his previous choices of entertainment, but it's also pretty obvious he's not going to apologize. Azimuth doesn't really expect him to, it's Percival Tachyon after all. In the end they just reach a calm understanding to never mention it anymore, pretending the bedroom slave episode never happened.

Alister doesn't honestly give a damn. Of all the crimes Tachyon committed, this was hardly the worst. It did damage his pride but even though it's unpleasant to think about, it hardly scarred him in any way. At times he doesn't even remember it well, it's as if it happened, and it didn't. Like a dream, sometimes too blurred to recall. That could have something to do with the Cragmite succeeding in turning back time. Either way, Azimuth doesn't care. All that matters to him in the end is that thanks to his captivity, and all that it entailed, Ratchet is alive and well, back with the others.

And so they go on about their lives in Tachyon's empire. Alister's living conditions keep improving - each week he finds himself getting more and more clearances, even though Percival usually fails to inform him about his expanding freedoms and privileges, or explain his motives. Even though Alister has no idea what is going to happen next, all this bodes rather well. He decides not to take any rash actions but after a while of their tentative conversations Alister ventures onto more adventurous topics. In the end he feels assured enough to dare to mildly criticize the way Tachyon runs his empire, which the Cragmite takes with some displeasure but surprising deal of patience and composure. Emboldened, Alister challenges him to make some improvements, proving the advantages behind such actions.

And Tachyon... actually considers it. The Lombax is astonished.

The way it's going, it doesn't seem like Percival feels like really keeping him captive anymore and Alister starts thinking about requesting permission to leave. He postpones making the request though, not exactly sure why. He's getting to know the enemy, he tells himself. With each of the now regular conversations they have, he gets to know Percival better and better. Even though they never go on the topics of the past, he feels the Cragmite opens up to him a little. If ever it comes to a confrontation between them again, Azimuth will know what strings to pull. Such justification makes this strange, tentative truce easier to accept.

He plans to make the request to leave Reepor soon. He tells himself he's biding his time, waiting for the right moment.

But Tachyon beats him to it. One day, he comes to Azimuth and hesitantly asks if perhaps he would wish to follow Ratchet and also join the Lombaxes.

Alister looks at him in complete disbelief. For some reason, he didn't even consider that option. Of course he wants to go... but why would Tachyon even propose it? What is his ulterior motive? What is the catch? ...and even if there isn’t any, Alister is sure the other Lombaxes would not want him there. He was banished, forbidden from ever joining them. He hangs his head as he tells Tachyon that.

Percival laughs, somewhat bitterly. Somehow, he doesn’t really want Alister to leave but neither does he want to keep him here against his will.

“Come on, Lombax. It has been over two decades. Your exile by now is self-imposed and I'm sure your foolish kin will welcome you with open arms.”

In the end, Tachyon manages to convince him, not fully understanding why he’s even doing it, and Azimuth agrees to leave. For years he’s craved to see his race again. How could he say no to this?

Tachyon gives him the Dimensionator, telling him to just take it. He says he’s done with it anyway. He adds that it was always malfunctioning when he tried to use it, so it apparently belongs with the furry space rats.

  


 

They say their goodbyes, and Alister bows to him from the portal, before turning away and disappearing.

He will never forget what Tachyon had done. To his race, to him, but also for him and Ratchet.

* * *

But things backfire, and heavily so. About a year later, Tachyon sorely regrets his decision as all the Lombaxes suddenly burst out from their dimension, armed and ready to wage war on the oppressor of Polaris. They destroy Tachyon’s troops, overthrow him and as he escapes from his keep on Reepor and desperately tries to make his way to the Great Clock to change the past again, they engage in close pursuit. They try to capture him alive at first but when he eludes them, they shoot to kill.

As severely wounded, he manages to crawl to the center of the Orvus Chamber, he sees Alister walking his way, slightly ahead of the other Lombaxes, leading them to the Cragmite. It all comes together then, even though Percival doesn't want to believe it. He doesn't want to believe that Alister betrayed him and rallied the Lombaxes against him after being given his freedom. But it is so painfully logical. What else was he honestly expecting? Of course they would want revenge! And Azimuth most of all!

And yet, as he sees the white Lombax approach him, something breaks in Tachyon and the heavily injured Cragmite just feels like giving up. Maybe it should just end here. He guesses that if he is to meet his end here and now, dying by Alister's hand would only be fair. Perhaps killing the one who's taken the loved ones away from him would finally let the tormented Lombax find some peace.

Percival pulls away from the Clock control mechanism. Ironically, there's not enough time to use it. He closes his eyes but the final blow never comes. Alister stands between him and the Lombaxes, protecting the Cragmite from their fire, and to Percival’s shock, he shouts at him to use the damn thing.

As Azimuth betrays his race once more, Tachyon sets the Great Clock in motion and the time changes again.

* * *

They are in the past once more, in the very moment when Percival was handing the Dimensionator over to Alister, and they look at each other, remembering the alternate timeline.

“Why did you let me do it?” Percival asks him, wide-eyed and still shaking with the recent memories of another future. “You didn’t even know how far back I would turn the time.”

“True, I didn't.” Azimuth admits, “But somehow, I guess I... trusted you.”

He explains then that he has tried to stop the Lombaxes from returning, but they did not heed his words. Even though they accepted him into their community, his reasoning fell on deaf ears. With the Dimensionator at their disposal the dream of reclaiming Fastoon and having their vengeance became too real to resist. They have been preparing for that day for a long time.

He asks why Percival even gave him the Dimensionator. If he just let him cross and rejoin the others, but kept the device, this wouldn't have happened. Not soon anyway. The Lombaxes did not have any other Dimensionator with them and it seems like the schematics have been lost during their rushed escape. Creating a new device might have been entirely out of question for decades to come and Tachyons empire would have been safe.

Percival tries to dodge the answer, telling Alister what he already told him before. He thought he had no use for the thing, it always malfunctioned, and that well, he trusted Azimuth to keep the device to himself.

But Alister doesn’t believe him. Percival is a creature of logic and mistrust. It was hardly like him to make such a wrong decision. Alister keeps pressing, and in the end Percival looks away and he mutters the real reason. It's quite simple really. He hoped Alister would use the Dimensionator to come back to him.

He hates to admit that he’s grown attached to some stupid Lombax but he can’t deny it any longer, he likes this furry space rat for some reason. He likes him a lot.

“Are you happy now?” he snaps at the Lombax, feeling like a fool after he made such a humiliating confession but at the same time too pissed at Azimuth for squeezing it out of him to let it go easily.

Alister looks at him with a thoughtful expression, watching him with a small smile.

“Rather content, yes.”

Percival sighs and says he needs some time to think. Alister fully agrees and they part ways for the night.

After a year spent with the Lombaxes, settling back into his quarters feels foreign, but also rather welcoming, especially after Percival's forced confession which provided Alister with quite some amusement and reassurance. The sentiment is kind of mutual. He also sort of missed that dratted Cragmite.

In the morning Percival has already managed to gather his thoughts (at a cost of a sleepless night, as it looks from the deep shadows under his eyes). He sends a servant over to Azimuth's quarters, requesting Alister to meet him in the same room as yesterday. And when Alister arrives there at the set time, it turns out Percy has brought the Dimensionator.

Cutting to the chase rather quickly, as opposed to his usual long speeches, he offers Alister a choice: go back to the Lombaxes, but without the Dimensionator, or… or stay, and become his general or advisor. There’s always something to do in his evil empire and he... well, he would like to have Alister here...

Alister says nothing to that, so after a long silent moment Percy puts the Dimensionator on his head, trying to make peace with the fact he will probably never see Azimuth again.

But Alister reaches out and takes the device off his head, putting it away and shaking his head. He chooses to stay.

It is then that Percy finally fails to hide that he has grown attached and he lunges forward to hug Alister. The Lombax embraces him too. They pull back a bit shocked and both agree it's best if they take one more evening to just let things sink in, after which they both rather quickly make themselves scarce.

The weeks that follow are rather strange. Alister never imagined he'd be wearing an imperial uniform and commanding Tachyon's minions. It's kind of difficult for everyone, especially for people who still vaguely remember him being a prisoner.

  


Tachyon keeps politely offering to execute someone every now and then but Alister politely refuses and gives him a skeptical look each time. Even back before Percival originally let him go to the Lombax dimension they had a conversation about executions being one of those things Tachyon should really think about abolishing. Azimuth doesn't need anyone's help settling into his new position. He hardly lacks charisma and after first rough week since he assumed the post of the empire's general, memories of the military routine kick in and soon he is already commanding respect among all of Tachyon's soldiers.

They bicker a lot about how to run the empire, and at moments Tachyon tells Azimuth he regrets giving him so much authority, and threatens with degrading him, but he never does. Azimuth really has a point most of a time, and from a perspective of a ruler, Percival can appreciate it. They've both made mistakes in their lives, and they've both learned to tread rather carefully. Everything of importance is discussed twice before they act on it.

Weeks turn into months, and Alister no longer feels like a stranger in his role, or walking these halls. He has rebuilt his wrench, giving it a slightly imperial twist. He visits other planets on various diplomatic missions, and coming back to Percival's headquarters on Reepor begins to feel like home. That however serves as a constant reminder that he is, and always will be, a traitor. Even though he knows for sure that at least Ratchet is safe and sound, the ghosts of the past still haunt him. Often, he reminisces Fastoon and even though he has given up on his quest to turn back time, he still grieves for all that was lost.

It shows. But each time Tachyon tries to go on the topic, finally feeling guilty, Alister shrugs it off. He knows at this point that blaming Tachyon will get them both nowhere. He's only got himself to blame. He is not going to change the past though and he couldn't ask that of Percival. Acting on selfish obsessions already once led him to kill his best friend's son. He knows better than to get fixated like that again. He's afraid if he did go back in time, he would end up killing the Cragmite. And at this point, he knows for sure that he doesn't want it. Even though that too, seems like a selfish motive when he thinks about it. Such thoughts plague him all the time but he tries to seek distraction from them.

He spends a lot of time around Percival; probably more than their current positions require, but Azimuth hardly minds anymore. Percival has quite an intellectual charm about him and it doesn't take long for Alister to remember why he liked the Cragmite when he first met him.

Running the empire and bringing progressively more stability to its planetary systems is quite stressful and exhausting, so every once in a while they meet to just drink and relax. On one of such meetings, somehow, drunk Percival ends up in Alister's embrace, with the Lombax's tail slowly winding around one of his hind legs. Before anything happens they pull apart, from the sheer realization of such proximity, and look at each other in shock.

Azimuth has no idea how he feels about Percival. That he cares about the Cragmite is beyond any doubt by now, but because of the vague memories of intimacy, there is also an edge of twisted attraction to it. It's quite hard to put a finger on it but strangely enough when Tachyon looks a bit hopeful, and asks, if maybe, just maybe, Alister would like to go to his bedroom, Azimuth finds himself not minding.

In Percy’s quarters, for the first time they engage in consensual intimacy, and it is weird and awkward for both of them. Alister takes initiative this time. He pulls the Cragmite into his lap and hugs him from behind. He caresses his ear-fins, his neck and face. Percival responds with unsure gestures of affection but his little heart beats wildly and when it seems like Alister's about to kiss him, he violently shakes his head and flees from the bedroom.

Left alone in Percival's quarters, Alister is pretty bewildered. His inebriated mind reaches some funny conclusions. So Percival could fuck him and that was fine but when the roles are reversed, he suddenly pulls this off? After inviting him to his bedroom? Really? But as he sobers up a bit, in the end the Lombax decides maybe it was a bad idea and Percival just realized it quicker. He returns to his own rooms.

Several more days go by, and everything seems unchanged at first but the way Percival looks at him when he thinks Azimuth doesn't see it, makes it pretty clear to the Lombax that something is different. Interestingly those looks aren't ones of desire. There seems to be longing, but mostly they are filled with sadness and resignation. Why would Tachyon ever look sad? It seems so off to Azimuth that confronts the Cragmite about it one day. All he gets is non-committal replies.

A few more times Alister tries to approach Percy romantically but each time Percival somehow maneuvers out of the situation. Azimuth guesses Percival lost interest, and so he abandons these tentative, experimental attempts. They have a lot of other things on their minds.

However in the weeks that follow, the Cragmite starts looking openly sad. At the same time, he looks somehow determined but Alister still can't get him to admit what's going on.

Until one day Percy doesn't show up for dinner, and is nowhere to be found. When Alister starts looking around for him and questioning the guards he finds out that the emperor has been seen in the docking bay, boarding his personal imperial cruiser.

Feeling uneasy, Azimuth boards another small spacecraft and hazarding a much dreaded guess of Tachyon's destination, he sets the course for Great Clock, flying as fast as he can.

He manages to catch up with Tachyon in what seems to be the very last moment and he pretty much tears him away from the device, tossing him on the ground away from it and holding him at the end of his wrench.

  


Guarding the lever and not letting the Cragmite crawl anywhere near it again, he shouts at Percival in outrage, questioning his motives. He doesn’t understand at all why Percival would escape and do this behind his back, whatever it is that he was going to do.

And Percy breaks down and tells him everything. That he just wants to undo it all, that he has his empire but he is not happy, hasn't been for years. He tells him that even though he thinks he found what he was missing in having Alister by his side, he can’t go on knowing that every day of his life Alister blames himself for what happened, for death of Kaden and his wife, for Ratchet’s life as an orphan, for betraying his kind... He confesses to Alister that the Cragmites hate him and consider him a weakling and that he will never become their ruler, that he now sees why the Lombaxes banished them and has no intention of ever summoning them back. He wants to go back, and change history. He will build the defense system like he promised, he won't fail Azimuth's trust. Fastoon will prosper, nobody will die, and Alister will live a happy life.

Alister understands then and there just how deeply Percival got attached to him, and that he changed on a fundamental level to be prepared to do something this selfless. Percival's behavior from the past weeks starts making sense and Alister can't say that he is entirely opposed to the Cragmite's idea. But he can't go around changing the past just like that. How could he not even tell him?!

Percival looks away from him and the Lombax sees tears in yellow eyes. He drops his wrench and pulls that little bastard close, even though Percy tries his best to writhe out of his grasp. Alister thanks him for the noble intent but asks him to go back to Reepor so that they can discuss it. Tachyon hesitates. It took him a lot of determination to finally make this decision, and if he lingers longer or hears Alister's opinion on it, he might not have the will to do this again later. But Alister says there is no fucking discussion. They're going back and that's it.

Back on Reepor Azimuth keeps an eye on Percival. He doesn't trust the Cragmite to be reasonable after he's pulled something like this. They eat the dinner they both missed even though neither has the appetite, and afterwards, they get down to the dreaded conversation. Just as Tachyon expected, Alister's first question is; why don't they go back in time together? They already did that once.

To that Percival shakes his head and says that the whole idea was for him to go alone. He doesn't want Azimuth to have these terrible memories, all these ghosts. He discredits Alister's notion completely.

When asked, why he should be forced to live with all these memories, he just looks at Alister with a wry smile. “I kind of deserve it, don't you think?”

After a lot of arguing, they finally settle at a decision. Percival will indeed go back in time. All in all Alister approves of the idea and he is thankful to the Cragmite. He's been looking forward to such an opportunity for two decades and he would be a fool to reject it. But Percival needs to be well prepared. He needs to know certain things, and he's not leaving anywhere in the next couple of weeks.

At the end of their discussion, Alister asks one more question.

Was this whole secretive enterprise the reason why Percival was rejecting his advances all the time?

Percy hangs his head down in a silent confirmation and Alister pulls him close. He holds the Cragmite until he feels some of the anxiety seeping out of Percy. Then he whispers things into his ear that make Percival turn red and wide-eyed.

Alister pulls slightly away, to look Percival right in the eye as he continues with a confident smirk. “I'm going to take you to my rooms and make sure you won't worry about time travel for the next day or two.”

When the Cragmite tries to bolt, Alister catches him and pulls him up in his arms, shaking his head at him in amusement. He carries him through the hallways in his arms with Tachyon first making some half-hearted attempts at escaping and then resigning to just threatening to execute the few guards and servants they meet on the way if they don't instantly forget what they saw. Alister laughs at those high-pitched death threats.

When they are alone in Azimuth's bedroom, the Lombax pulls Percival into his lap. They touch each other’s faces, and kiss for the first time. It's awkward but becomes less so on the second kiss, and the third... then they lose track of it anyway. Kissing Percival's ear-fins and his neck the Lombax proposes that this time he would be the one on top and Tachyon shrugs, not minding. He looks quite shy so Azimuth asks just in case, if he's had sex often. Percy admits that not particularly. He’s had a number of encounters with various aliens since he became the emperor, though well, usually he'd be the one in the position of power.

He's going to be fine, he assures Azimuth. Resettling into his lap, he sighs as he lets the Lombax bury himself inside him. Then he stills and looks stunned for a while. Azimuth is concerned, and inquires if everything is alright. After a moment Tachyon just nods and they start going at it. Azimuth is surprised to see that when he is not being sadistic and sly the Cragmite is quite lovely. Percy is overwhelmed and vulnerable, but quickly and confidently pulls Alister’s hands away when the Lombax makes him almost lose control. He does eventually let Alister take over completely and when they are done Percy is a shivering mess.

They sleep together that night, and all the nights that follow.

  


On one of those nights however, Alister opens his eyes up to see Percival looking at him wide awake and clearly upset. He asks Tachyon what is wrong and Percy opens up to him, confessing that this is all too good, he doesn’t want to lose this. He is afraid to go back in time.

Alister smiles and tells him that it's alright. He doesn't need to do it. They can just stay here, they can have this. Whatever Percival decides, it's going to be a win win situation. Alister tells him that no matter what Percival may think, he is really used to this life in exile and to living with this guilt by now.

But that only makes Percy even more convinced he wants to turn back the time.

Alister sighs and embraces him, slowly calming him down. He's got a solution for that, he says, and the Cragmite is quite desperate to hear it.

“How about I tell you how to woo the young, dashing me?”

And so, reaching back with his memories to the times he lived on Fastoon he tells Percival about himself, about what he used to enjoy, about his favourite places on Fastoon. He tells him that he remembers he used to trust Percival back then, that he liked him when others did not and was always ready to stand up for him. Until early hours of dawn he gives Tachyon advice on how to approach him, until the Cragmite is reassured and believes that it is still possible for them to wind up together in the alternate timeline.

Alister warns him that he was always a difficult man to be around, or in a relationship with, and that he will probably have a mighty hard time working on him, but Tachyon doesn't mind.

He's always enjoyed a challenge.

* * *

And so Percival returns to the time when he was allowed to work with advanced Lombax technology to build defense systems, but before he began implementing his evil plans. He quickly shelves all his malicious schematics and plans, rearranging the whole project to build defenses in earnest.

Very quickly he remembers exactly why he had turned on the Lombaxes (not counting his Cragmite vendetta). While no one is openly violent or even rude to him, almost none of the Lombaxes show any warmth towards him. He’s an outsider. Always has been, and always will be. Not particularly respected, not liked, tolerated at best. Now that he knows his own race wouldn’t treat a runt like him much better, Tachyon swallows his pride and trudges through the routine, stealing glances at Alister, happy to see that at least the Lombax general is at his peak.

Percival tries to rebuild his bond with Alister, being uncommonly friendly towards him. Generally his behavior seems to have suddenly changed to the Lombaxes, and Kaden finds it extra suspicious. Besides, sometimes when some Lombax annoys him Percival has slip-ups of the “it’s Emperor Tachyon to you, furball” kind, one of which Zenith happens to witness. Kaden decides to investigete and after a thorough search, he finds Percival’s abandoned plans. He copies them and presents them at the Lombax council.

Upon seeing those, he Lombaxes decide Tachyon must be a sleeper agent of some sort or a spy and detain him. They question him, but his vague answers don’t satisfy anyone and they decide to use some sort of Lombax memory extractor on him. The procedure is not a pleasant one, but for Lombaxes it is safe and painless. However, it was not tested on Cragmites and without a chance to know what it could do to Percy they still do it (considering him an ingrate, traitor and a threat).

The process turns out to be very painful and damaging to Percival but everyone is hostile towards him when they find out about the Cragmite's original plans to destroy their entire race. So even though they see they are hurting him, and possibly doing irreparable damage, they continue the extraction. They don’t believe Tachyon’s claims of time travel and good intentions, preferring to just get everything he knows and judge then.

Tachyon keeps struggling against the process, particularly when they get to his more recent pretty damn weird and private memories of Alister from the late days of his empire. But he can’t do anything and the Lombaxes get what they want.

By the time they’ve extracted everything up to the present moment the Cragmite is broken emotionally and suffering from serious memory abnormalities, having fits when he forgets and remembers things chaotically. His hate for the Lombaxes is renewed and worse than ever, but he still has feelings for Alister, these two emotions replacing each other in intervals.

The Lombaxes keep him locked up as they plow through the extracted archives. At first everyone is very intrigued by the memories of the future, where Tachyon betrays everyone. They think those are his intentions rather than events he remembers. As they watch him turn their defense program on them and force them to retreat into another dimension, they are convinced what they did to him was right. Alister in particular feels betrayed.

But then they get to the weird stuff (like the whole part where Alister kills Ratchet and then is dragged around naked). Since this is deemed to be pretty sensitive and private data the Lombaxes decide it would be enough if only Kaden and Alister went through what’s left. Kaden trusts Alister to watch things alone and Azimuth does just that, scrolling through the particularly inappropriate stuff. He stays up for many evenings and nights, watching it all wide-eyed, letting conversations between Tachyon and him play out in real time to understand the unfolding events.

He witnesses himself betraying his race and letting Tachyon turn back the time. With even greater disbelief, he watches himself run Tachyon's empire as the Cragmite's right hand and attempt to court him.

He ends up very disturbed by what he saw through Tachyon’s eyes. But he also realizes Tachyon has saved them all out of feelings for him. The fact Tachyon is in love with him and that it had been mutual in Tachyon’s memories appals and repulses Alister. But he also can’t help but feel that they have currently misjudged the Cragmite.

He checks up on Tachyon and discovers the scale of the damage done. Percival is hardly able to do science anymore, he has a hard time going through everyday activities.

Alister convinces the rest of the Lombaxes that Tachyon is no longer a danger and needs treatment. But they still keep him locked up. Azimuth thinks on it all and seeing no improvement in Percy’s condition decides what they did to him now was undeserved and cruel. He breaks Percy out and takes him to the Great Clock, where he helps him do his adjustments to allow time travel.

He apologizes to Percival for what happened and, alone, he travels back to the moment before Kaden discovered Percy’s plans.

* * *

One day, in the rather early days of his work on the defense project, Percival comes to his private lab to find Alister there, looking at his old evil plans.

Tachyon freaks out, trying to explain the situation but Alister seems unimpressed with the rushed, chaotic explanations. He lets Percy ramble for a while, watching him expressionlessly, before smirking and just deleting the plans from his computer.

  


When Percival gapes at him with mouth open wide, Alister tells him that he well, he knows... some things. He is not very vocal about it, so Percival doesn’t fully grasp the extent of what Alister learnt and how or what really happened, though he suspects time travel must have been involved again. Before he leaves the lab, Alister warns him to destroy all traces of anything that could incriminate him, and he thanks him for the vague “everything”, telling him he is really excited about their defense system.

After the door shuts behind the Lombax, Percival stares at it for a very long time.

From that moment on, Alister is genuinely friendly towards Percy, although he does not respond to his advances in the romantic field. Even though he is aware of them more than ever it just… doesn’t feel right. Knowing the events of the altered future, Alister understands he could feel strongly about the Cragmite, and even now, he cares about him and would do everything to ensure his safety.

But he still cannot comprehend how in the other time he could find the Cragmite attractive or ever bed him.

Percival meanwhile notices the subtle cringes that appear on Alister’s face, when he tries to approach the Lombax in any kind of romantic capacity. Not sure what to make of it, he decides it is about his alien appearance. He is used to it being an issue. He had felt freaky all his youth, growing up as the only representative of a species nobody could tell him anything about, looking nothing like his caretakers and peers. That had been one of the reasons he latched so hard onto the idea of bringing back the Cragmites once he found out about them. He wanted to belong and he felt he had been robbed of that by the Lombaxes. Now however he knows he wasn’t. The Cragmites would likely treat him even worse.

So now with his identity and self-image in ruins, Percy relives his childhood urge to fit in. He tries to find a way to look more like a Lombax.

One day he comes to the labs covered head to tail in yellow fur, like a fuzzy caterpillar. When Lombaxes give him weird looks he says “Don’t even ask” and just goes to work.

At some point during the day all of the fur abruptly falls out to the laughter of other scientists, and with a great deal of frustration Percival collects it and burns it in an incinerator. Azimuth witnesses the incident, but doesn’t quite know what to think about it.

After some time, Percival finally stops trying to win Alister over. He is always friendly towards the general and sometimes, Alister sees him smiling at him from across the lab. Tachyon is simply happy that Alister has a normal life now, that he does not have to live with that burden anymore. If he can't have anything more, then he will cling onto this. But he wouldn't be himself if he gave up completely.

One day, Percival proposes that they go and drink after work and Alister agrees. Since Percival is a small creature, alcohol goes to his head quickly and he ends up slumped on the table, slightly teary-eyed and complaining that he doesn’t get respect like he used to when he was an emperor (he’s so drunk at this point he doesn’t realize Alister isn’t supposed to know of that whole thing). Alister tries to comfort him, casually picking up the comparison to imperial life. He promises Tachyon that when the defense system is finished he will be respected and praised universally. The Cragmite is a little cheered up, but still looks mopey. He is so trashed Alister has to lead him home and practically tuck him in.

Some time after that Percival turns up at the lab with another ridiculous attempt at visually fitting in. This time with two mechanical legs attached to a harness on his body, his lower torso with short bug legs and tail dangling down like a big fat tail. It looks ridiculous and soon the whole room full of Lombax scientists laughs at him. Tachyon breaks down and escapes into a corner, where he pretends to work on something, but instead just sits there crying.

That’s where Alister finds him. And seeing what is going on he comforts Tachyon and tells him he is fine the way he is, there is nothing he needs to change. He tells Percival that he is the only good Cragmite in the whole universe, and not because the Lombaxes made him this way, but because of himself.

From that day Alister somehow finds the idea of being close with the Cragmite less and less disgusting, much more disgusted by the way his fellow Lombaxes treat Percival. He chastises people and makes sure to check up on him. In these more favorable conditions Percival’s research flourishes and once it is finished the Lombax defense system is a masterpiece.

Kaden, who'd stayed midly suspicious towards Tachyon at all times, finally admits he was wrong about Percival, but both Percival and Alister go “eh, well, yeah, thanks, but like, you kind of had a point, or well, ahem, anyway…” Without knowledge gained by time travelling Kaden just shrugs it off.

Emboldened by his success Percival tries to subtly court Azimuth again. Alister to his slight horror recognizes his own advice (that he saw himself give to the Cragmite in Tachyon’s memories) being put into practice. Tachyon displays truly an uncanny knowledge of his preferences and favorite pastimes.

One evening Alister remembers how when he was watching Tachyon’s forcefully extracted memories, he saw his own face looking at the Cragmite with deep affection. Back then he could not understand how he could ever feel this way, especially after all that happened in that alternate tragic timeline and after all of Tachyon’s crimes. But now, he finds himself caring  
deeply for the Cragmite who went all this way to change the course of history, and who himself became changed in the process.

And he finds himself willing to give Percival a chance. Because what does he care really? His reputation would suffer but only if anyone was to find out. And as to his personal feelings about the Cragmite anatomy and slight apprehension of getting to know it up close and personal, then well… somehow the chance of seeing Percival happy, seems worth giving it a try.

And so next time Percival hesitantly approaches him, Alister doesn’t flinch - he accepts the invitation.

The Cragmite’s hesitation vanishes in an instant and Percival is back to the charming persona that had won Alister over in the beginning, gaining his trust and granting Tachyon access to the technology he needed. Azimuth is surprised, but as they spend time together he starts paying less and less attention to how alien Tachyon looks and focuses much more on his manner, his words and personality. After a half a dozen private meetings he finds himself pulling the Cragmite into his arms. And when Percival smiles at him, he smiles back. Tachyon kisses him and it doesn’t feel half-bad.

* * *

One day Kaden unceremoniously bursts into his best friend’s home, and into his bedroom, in the very early hours of morning, intending to summon Alister to a urgent meeting of Lombax command.

He is greeted by the sight of Percival Tachyon in his best friend’s arms. Percival shrieks and pulls the comforter up and over his head and upper body (since he always only wears tops, and never pants, nakedness for him would be what’s up there). That maneuver reveals that Alister’s tail is curled all around Percival’s insect-like lower half. Azimuth swears and tries to steal some of the comforter from the panicked Cragmite to cover that.

Kaden just turns his back on that whole mess, the image burnt into his mind. He wants to run out screaming, but instead just listens to the two naked men behind him bicker and then awkwardly announces what he came for.

Tachyon quickly pulls on a shirt, picks up his stuff and casually uses a teleporter to return to his own place and leave for work from there thus pretending he hasn’t moved in with Alister, not at all.

Kaden realizes they have been doing this for a longer time now.

He really needs a drink.

* * *

The End ;D

**A/N If you liked this AU, please leave us a comment. Hearing from readers always makes it all worth the effort C:**

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Aaaand here's some terrible bonus NSFW stuff, enjoy! XDDD (early attempts to stylize Percy that were later abandoned)


	3. The Communist Regime Human AU (?!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you thought our AUs couldn't get any weirder... :D  
> Warning: lots of messed up psychological bullshit; rape (but Alister takes it well); very non-role-modely behavior on both parts. Don't try any of this at home.  
> As per usual all art is done by us.

**The Communist Regime Human AU**

 

* * *

 

* * *

 

The year is 2050.

Alister Azimuth is a rebel, hiding somewhere in the Australian desert, living as a recluse with nothing but his plane for company. The rule over Earth is divided between Doctor Nefarious’s Robot Reich, which occupies all of Eurasia and Africa, and Percival Tachyon’s United Soviet States of America, which constitutes the Americas and some islands. Australia, which is now an uninhabited desert due to climate change is one of the few neutral places left on Earth.

Alister’s hideout is in some crags that give much needed shade. In said shade the grizzled sunburnt ginger man tinkers with his battered jet. It almost looks like a spaceship from an early 2000s video game. They all do these days, now that two nerdy bastards rule the world.

Alister thinks back to better days, when the world still made sense...

* * *

 

...back when the United States of America was still a democracy, Alister Azimuth used to be a general in the US military. The good not so old days.

Back in 2045, before everything went to hell, the military was working on a defense system that would protect the USA and its allies against Nefarious’s growing threat. The up-to-no-good Doctor had come to power after the USSR was reduced to a gigantic nuclear wasteland in 2024. The robotic bastard took advantage of his kind’s immunity to radiation and used the vast leftover resources to build himself a massive robot army which allowed him to take over what was left of non-Communist Europe and Asia, as well as all of the irradiated landmass between. The robots also took over Africa and Australia. The latter was eventually abandoned after all its resources were depleted. For now the Doctor did not attempt a direct attack on the Americas, but it was to be expected and no expenses were spared on the defense efforts.

Leading the work on the new defense system was a young brilliant inventor and extravagant trillionaire Percival Tachyon.

  


Back then general Azimuth found himself fascinated with the inventor. Tachyon had a mind like no other. If someone could help them put Nefarious’s threat to rest, it was him. The man was pure mechanical genius. He was an eccentric by Alister’s standards, but someone who could build a deadly robot suit from scrap in a matter of days evoked respect in the general.

They got along just fine. Perhaps too fine after a while. Percival was flirting with him. Alister didn’t know quite what to do about it. It was part of his job to make sure the inventor cooperated and worked at maximum capacity, but he had always thought himself straight. Then one day he found himself with his pants undone and Percival on his knees between his legs and he wasn’t so sure anymore.

It never really went much further than that, because several weeks later Percival’s magnum opus was ready, and Tachyon got into his giant robot and took over the USA.

And so Alister spent the next five years trying in vain to undermine the rule of one or the other tyrant, watching as his beloved country was enslaved and then warped into a totalitarian communist state.

Everyone who is not a rebel and outlaw like him has either been turned into a robot by Nefarious or forced to live in communism by Comrade Tachyon.

Even in his base Alister sometimes watches transmissions of Tachyon’s state television which is almost entirely propaganda. Some of the warped information on the news block is still remotely useful in his rebel activities.

His dream is to assassinate Tachyon. But such opportunities are hard to come by, so he resorts to other acts of defiance. Freeing political prisoners from convoys, helping insurgencies and so on. A few times he got caught. But each time he managed to escape.

* * *

Not this time.

The door opens. Alister grits his teeth upon hearing unpleasantly familiar footsteps.

“Well, well, well, Alister Azimuth, my self-proclaimed nemesis. You look a little tied up, perhaps I should come by later?”

Percival chuckles. His high-pitched voice is enough to drive Alister up the wall. He sneers. The blindfold which initially irked him now comes as a relief - at least he doesn’t have to look at the communist bastard. He could do without the ropes tying him to the chair, though. And with some earmuffs.

“Perhaps you should.”

He can hear Percival’s footsteps as his enemy circles him.

“Look at you. You must be, what, almost fifty now? So well-preserved.”

A hand runs over his shoulders and Alister flinches.

“What do you want, Tachyon? We’ve done this before. You know I won’t tell you anything.”

“True. We have done something similar once…” Percival sounds amused. Then Alister feels his hot breath against his ear. “But it was so long ago.”

Alister frowns, confused, but before he manages to form a question he feels himself being tilted back, as the chair unfolds. Images of a dentist’s chair pop into his mind, and that does not bode well at all. Looks like it’s good old torture after all.

“You’ll pay for this, Tachyon.”

“I suppose I will.” The bastard replies openly amused.

Azimuth braces himself for the sounds of some horrid machinery being activated and clanks of metal against metal. Instead there is only quiet and then Percival’s hands press down on his shoulders and the weight of the skinny dictator rests in his lap.

The rebel doesn’t react. He waits for Tachyon’s next move, trying to makes sense of the situation, but when he feels Percival’s fingers brush over the side of his face in a caress Alister flinches away. “What the fuck are you doing?”

The other man doesn’t respond, instead he cups Alister’s face in his hands, firmly holding it in place. Then his lips press against Alister’s mouth. Azimuth purses his lips and a moment later his enemy withdraws. He uses that opportunity to spit in Percival’s general direction.

“Tsk tsk, your aim’s not what it used to be. Then again, I do have the unfair advantage.” Percival runs his hands down Alister’s torso, feeling his body through the clothes. Then he starts undoing Azimuth’s belt. “Not one for foreplay, are you? I can respect that.”

“What purpose is this even supposed to serve? Have you ran out of ideas, Tachyon?”

“Me? Out of ideas? Never.” Tachyon chuckles, thin precise digits now busy with Alister’s zipper. “You’re a handsome, passionate man, and I can appreciate that. I don’t imagine you would let me appreciate it in full under other circumstances, though. So here we are.” Percival shifts and slips his hand into Alister’s pants. His fingers are warm and soft and they move without hesitation.

Azimuth is repulsed by those advances. He might have made a mistake of allowing sexual attraction between them in the past, but that was long ago, that was before Percival betrayed him and the United States of America. Now, he’s just disgusted, no doubt about it. But he knows he’s bound too tight to escape. “What is it, really? Is there no one out there who wants you that makes you so desperate? Or maybe you’re afraid of them finding out that you’re a faggot?”

“Oh, the fact I prefer men has never been a secret. Men and women are equal under my enlightened rule, regardless of the sex of their partners. I can have anyone I want. And I do. You on the other hand must be getting little to no action in that wasteland you call home. So try to enjoy yourself.” Percival’s other hand returns to his face and the small freckled dictator kisses him again. His tongue runs over Alister’s lips, while his fingers rub and stroke him.

Alister’s mouth remains shut. He turns his face away and struggles against Tachyon’s efforts, but with Percival quiet and unseen it’s so easy to imagine it was someone else. Anyone else. And he hasn’t been with anyone for a very long time indeed…

Percival shifts again, rising in Alister’s lap. He rests one hand on Alister’s shoulder, while the other guides Azimuth’s dick inside him. Tachyon sighs, sinking down, until Alister is deep inside him. He tries to kiss the general again, but Alister is even less cooperative than before. Percival grips him by the hair and kisses him anyway. Then he starts riding him slow and steady.

Alister is disgusted to hear the grunts and whimpers of the smaller man as his tempo rises and his grip on Alister’s hair gets tighter. Percival is a degenerated deviant who clearly got bored with his subservient harem and needs something fresh. Alister wishes very much he was not part of this equation but he only has himself to blame for getting caught.

After a few loud groans Percival stops moving for a while, and Alister hopes that he is finished. Instead, it continues. Alister resents every moment of it, but Percival riding his dick could hardly scar him emotionally. He has no idea what Tachyon is amining to achieve through this. After the little bastard comes again, but doesn’t go away, he just resigns to imagining he’s with someone else. Anyone really. Last middle-aged woman he’d seen. Good enough.

Finally it is over and Percival gets off of him.

“What now?” Alister asks.

“Nothing. Goodnight,” Percival murmurs tiredly as he walks away.

* * *

The next day Percival has him tied to the same chair again.

As they do it this time, Alister lets Percival do what he wants, not giving the bastard the pleasure of witnessing any pointless struggle, but in his mind he’s going through all the ways he could murder the communist bastard. Smash his head in until that overzealous brain of his stops working, garrote him, or would a plain old strangling be more satisfying? Throw him out of his jet down into Grand Canyon - no, Tachyon doesn’t deserve to see such glorious sight before he dies. Throw him out blindfolded then, square and fair. Drown him, kick him into lava or a pit with poisonous spiders...

Percival’s moans don’t even sound so bad in the context of the spider pit.

Alister looks forward to the opportunity of executing one or several of these ideas. Sooner or later Tachyon would get bored with him, or he would escape. It is only a matter of time.

After the enemy is finished with him he is tidied up, untied and taken to his cell, where he is left to dwell on this new development and clean himself up. It’s hardly the worst he’s been through in Tachyon’s captivity, and Alister can’t lie even to himself that this unwanted sex is the worst torture he’s endured, but the intercourse troubles him. Just like the fact Percival never tried to kill him, when he was captured. He was tortured quite some on previous occassions but it was plain obvious that the torture was never aimed to kill or maim. Perhaps Tachyon knows that nothing hurts Azimuth as much as watching his fatherland succumb to a communist dictator. And he couldn’t possibly observe that if he were dead.

Several days pass like this.

Then Alister is left alone in his cell. Days pass, and Percival does not come back.

A month passes before the opportunity presents itself and he manages to escape.

Then he is back to his rebel activities, and after several months he forgets all about this strange episode.

* * *

Almost five years later.

  


Alister comes back to his secondary hideout with a peculiar find. A holodisk abandoned in the middle of the desert with a children’s drawing of a soldier attached to it. He checked it through and through and there was no trace of any bugs or tricks. Merely a holodisk and a simple picture drawn in crayons. The holodisk could of course contain viruses, so he plugs it into a spare computer, disconnected from his main network.

The image of Percival pops up on the screen. Alister rolls his eyes.

Percival is seated on a couch, smirking smugly.

“Good day, Alister. I hope I’m not interrupting. Your recent intervention in the state of Texas was completely uncalled for and believe me, I will take measures against the other rebels still in the region…”

Alister realizes the video must be at least a couple of weeks old, the men who had assisted him were executed few days ago. He grits his teeth, glaring at the screen.

“But this is not the happy news I want to share with you. No, in fact I have a charming little surprise for you. Two surprises to be precise.” Percival smiles and Alister feels uneasy. Tachyon’s “charming little surprises” are hardly ever “charming” or “little”. They are surprises alright, he has to give him that. This does not bode well.

Just as he is mentally going through the list of his rebel allies that could have been caught and held by Tachyon, the sound of the door opening comes from the speakers, and two children appear on the screen…

A boy and a girl about the same age, both with bright red hair and freckles.

“Are we filming?” the boy asks excited, walking up to look straight into the camera, obscuring most of the view. “Is Dad going to watch this?”

“Yes, Lamorak. Yes, he is,” Percival replies.

Lamorak moves back and climbs onto the sofa to sit on Percival’s left. The girl has already taken the place to Tachyon’s right. She is beaming straight at Alister, as if she could see him. Then her expression turns a little sad.

“Can I ask Daddy a question?” she asks, looking up at Percival.

“Of course, Guinnevere. Go ahead.”

The girl stares right into Alister’s eyes, and deeper, straight into his soul. And with the honesty and conviction of a young child she asks “When will you come back from the war, Daddy?”

Alister gapes at the screen, speechless. None of it makes any sense. Who are these children? What did Percival do? Is he just messing with him? Are these child actors? Or were these children taken away from their parents and raised specifically to be pawns in one of Tachyon’s schemes? Why did Percival make them address him as their father? Did he raise these poor children with the firm belief that Alister was their father who was gone to some war?

“We miss you, Dad,” Lamorak echoes his sister.

Both the boy and the girl stare at him sadly and Alister can’t believe they could be actors. The poor children really miss him. He wants to tear Tachyon into shreds for lying to these kids like that. For dragging him into this. What is this even all about? What does the bastard want to achieve? Could it really all be just about getting to him? Why drag a pair of innocent redhead children, who couldn’t _possibly_ be his-...

And then Azimuth shudders. He _is_  dealing with Percival after all. And Percival Tachyon wouldn’t throw words around like that. He was many things, but he was not a cheap liar. This had to be more devious than just that.

The memory of the last time he was captured by Tachyon five years ago returns.

Had Percival collected his sperm back then? Had some woman carried Alister’s children for Tachyon to use as bargaining tools or pawns?

Azimuth balls his fists, fury rising until he wants to scream. This is sick and wrong on so many levels he wishes he could kill Percival over and over again.

“I’m sorry, Guinny. Your Daddy is on a very important mission, he is fighting for our motherland, protecting us from Doctor Nefarious.”

Azimuth feels his blood freeze in his veins.

“I’m sure he will come back to us as soon as he can.”

Alister pauses the video and marches over to an old training dummy to pummel it until it falls apart, because he cannot bear to watch this any longer without exploding.

How could anyone sink that low? Even for Tachyon this is unprecedented. Brainwashing children to think he’s the best guy ever is every dictator’s shtick. But brainwashing kids to think his enemy is their father only to use them to mess with the man is an entirely new level of evil. And if they really are his kids, that makes it even worse. Alister decides he needs to free his schedule. His only objective now is to murder the sick bastard.

Only when he is completely out of breath and no longer capable of punching stuff does Azimuth return to the computer screen and press ‘resume’.

In the recording Lamorak pulls out a folded drawing from his pocket and straightens it out. It’s the same drawing Alister found attached to the holotape.

“I drew a picture of you, Dad.”

“I colored,” Guinnevere says proudly.

Alister looks at the drawing in front of him, feeling a heavy weight settle in his chest. These are his children. Children he didn’t even know existed, while they’ve lived four years believing he was away, that he would leave them and go to some war, and never even attempt to contact them. He wants to strangle Percival.

Percival looks at him with a happy grin.

“Aren’t they the most gifted little artists? I’m sure your father will love the drawing. Maybe he will even find time to send us all a video message.”

The children instantly turn to Tachyon, beaming with joy.

“Can he really do that?” Guinny chirps hopefully.

“That would be amazing!” Lamorak looks at Percy with a grin and then turns back to the camera. “Please, dad, send us a video if you can!”

“Please, please, please!”

“Now, now, children, your father might be in too much danger for that, so don’t pressure him,” Percival says seriously.

“Will you tell Dad about Tristan?” Lamorak asks.

“Well, since you just told him anyway…” Percival chuckles. “I might as well.”

 Alister feels growing unease, as Percival unbuttons his shirt. And that’s when Alister sees something he never had the opportunity to see. Scars on Percival’s chest. Very characteristic scars. Tachyon is looking straight into the camera, aware that Alister would see, that he would notice and draw conclusions. Azimuth feels his skin crawl. It couldn’t be true, it’s absurd… But now the blindfold he’d been forced to wear makes a lot more sense.

 Azimuth shakes his head as if to deny the reality of what he is seeing.

 And then he sees Percival turn sideways and notices a belly on the normally skinny dictator.

 Alister turns away from the video. No. This is too wrong. It must be a terrible nightmare, not reality. It can’t be happening.

 He does not pause the video and Percival’s voice reaches him even though the sight of him doesn’t.

 “Lamorak and Guinnevere are going to have a little brother. You’re going to have a second son, Alister.”

 No, no, no, it simply cannot be happening. These can’t be… these can’t be also Percival’s children...

 Alister grips his head into his hands, bending over and shaking with a mix of fury and outrage.

 “Now, little ones, run along. I have a few more things to tell your Daddy, but they are adult things.”

 “Aw, Mom, but I want to stay.”

 “Me, too. Can we stay, Mommy?”

 “No, no, not this time. We’ll make a longer video next time, alright? Now go.”

 Alister sits staring at the floor, hearing his children get off the couch, say their goodbyes and run off.

 When the door closes, Percival speaks up, sounding much colder and much more like his usual self.

 “It will be almost half-a-year before Tristan is born. You have time to think if you would like to be there for your youngest son. See his first steps. Hear his first word. I wouldn’t pressure you, of course. Trust me, the children are well cared for. They would still be all too glad to see their father.”

 Alister turns to glare murderously at the screen and sees Percival smirk at him.

 “If you want to send them a holotape, drop it off at the coordinates I wrote down on the other side of Lamorak’s drawing. Don’t try anything stupid, though. I will watch it before I let them see it.” Percival looks at him haughtily, and then his expression softens. “They would be very glad if you send them a message. Who knows, if you behave, I might even let them talk to you on a call in real time. You might not miss Tristan’s first steps after all.” Tachyon smirks. “This message will erase itself in three-two-one.”

 

The screen turns off and the holotape makes a loud whirr.

 Alister looks at it blankly.

 Everything that Tachyon said and demonstrated, the age of the children, the timing of his captivity and the ease of his escape all form into one gut-wrenching narrative. Those are his children. He is their father. Tachyon is their _mother._  Alister rocks back and forth, unable to handle that last statement. He stands up and walks around the hideout just to spend some energy

 It doesn’t even matter so much to Azimuth that Tachyon wasn’t born with a dick. All that matters is that he, Alister Azimuth, had children with his worst enemy. That his worst enemy has those children and is currently raising them with his communist worldview in his communist regime.

 Alister realizes the sex had been a far worse torture than anything that came before.

 He always wanted a family. Back when the US was still the land of the free he was set on starting one the moment he felt the military did not require his full attention. In fact Tachyon’s defense program was exactly what could have allowed him to finally get back to his private life, maybe even settle down, had it not all been a scheme to seize power and enslave everyone. Now, living in this dystopian world ruled by two crazy tyrants, Alister had long given up on his dream of a family, of happy retirement. And then Percival went ahead and did _this_ …

 Alister tosses the computer with the erased holodisk across the room. He knocks things off of shelves and tears the shelves themselves off of the walls. He wrecks his hideout until he is completely out of breath and his muscles ache from the burst of destructive anger.

 He tells himself he will not play into Tachyon’s hand. He will not fall for this.

 Then he remembers little Guinevere and Lamorak - who names a child that? - looking at him from the screen, so sad yet so full of hope. Alister’s anger dissipates. Those are his children. His lovely children who are waiting for a message from him.

 Alister leans against a wall and sinks to the floor.

 * * *

 After much thought and even more anger and exasperation, Alister finally gives in and records a video message for his son and daughter. It takes him many attempts to do it right. He knows Percival won’t let him even hint the truth to the children, and he isn’t even sure himself if that would be the right thing to do. They are very young still. And the situation is quite… complicated.

 Finally the video is ready. It’s not very long and it’s mostly him asking questions. What are their favorite bedtime stories? Who do they want to be when they grow up? Do they have a pet? Do they want one? What games do they like to play?

 For now he plays along with Tachyon’s lie about his secret mission. Guinnevere and Lamorak deserve better than to grow up knowing their parents are worst enemies.

 Parents… Alister wonders for a while how much time Percival even spends with the kids. The bloody despot probably leaves everything to the nannies. But he doesn’t want to ask them about Percival. The very thought of Tachyon being their… mother… makes him sick.

 Had it been anyone else, he would have considered going and joining his unplanned family. He would have tried to bond with the woman, who would have carried his children, even if she were completely unattractive and boring as oatmeal. He would have made sure to be there for her and the children.

 But he knows Lamorak and Guinnevere are safe and lack nothing. And Percival Tachyon, be he man or woman, is the last person in this world that Azimuth wants to bond with.

 * * *

 A week after he drops off his own video, Alister picks up the response.

 The holodisk recording starts with just Lamorak and Guinnevere sitting together in little chairs, staring intently at the camera. Then Alister hears his own voice and the children jump up with excitement.

 “It’s Dad!” Lamorak points at the camera, looking to the side with a happy grin.

 Guinnevere grips her own cheeks and then just waves her little hands around in excitement.

 Then both of them fall quiet, and lean forward, paying close attention to Alister’s video.

 Azimuth watches them with the same intensity. A reaction video - this is so much more than he expected. Seeing the excitement of his children almost makes him tear up. After he asks his first question someone pauses the video and the children focus on the camera and take turns to answer it. Guinnevere loves Cinderella, Lamorak prefers Peter Pan. Alister feels relief that the children aren’t naming propaganda. Maybe not all is lost.

 Then they say they are going to be ruling the country together, like mommy does now, and the impression is somewhat tarnished.

 The rest of the video, their answers to his questions, their reactions to his video and the list of their own childish questions leave Alister with a smile and deep-seated bittersweet joy. They are absolutely lovely, fairly normal children. Perhaps their vocabulary is a bit too rich for their age, but that can only be good.

 Alister rewatches the video over and over before he goes to sleep that night. There is no Percival in the video, only his voice, reminding the children what they wanted to do or ask their father. Alister feels thankful for that.

 * * *

 Azimuth does not stop his rebel activities. When he knows Percival would be too busy with Tristan’s birth he helps other rebels in a massive operation, liberating some of their allies from state prison.

 Percival retaliates by not contacting him for months on end.

 Alister finds himself frustrated, rewatching his collection of the messages from his children and the few live calls they’ve had. Percival had censored those mercilessly, making static appear whenever Alister tried to go onto any suspicious topics to leave the children in the dark.

 Azimuth’s hideout is plastered with his kids’ drawings and photographs. He had meticulously cut Percival out of every single photo. The drawings of Percival he covered with sticky notes.

 Finally, after more than four months of not having contacted him, Percival pings him on their private channel and in a live call Alister is introduced to his infant son, just as ginger as his siblings. Azimuth’s heart melts at the sight of the baby boy, he doesn’t even notice Percival, who is holding the babe.

 He needs to be there for these children, but what can he do…?

 * * *

 Another venture into Tachyon’s territory, and Alister is boarding a moving train, intending to steal a valuable bit of technology for his ship.

 He dispatches a few robots guarding the carriage he is interested in without drawing attention. He walks in, sneaking between crates only to be zapped by a well-hidden droid. Alister loses control of his limbs and drops to his knees, letting go of his gun and moments later it’s taken away. But instead of capturing him or calling the others the robot withdraws. Just as Alister regains control of his body the crate in front of him is lifted and he sees his children and Percival around a table. There’s cake. Confetti falls all around.

 “Surprise!”

 The children get off the chairs and run to him. Alister doesn’t even manage to rise from his knees, the children are hanging on his neck and he is hugging them, holding them close as he glares daggers at Percival. Tachyon remains sitting at the table with Tristan in his arms. There’s cake and other food on the table.

 Turns out it’s the twins’ birthday.

 Alister is completely lost, he doesn’t know how to react, what to do, but his children lead him to the table, sit him down and shower him with joy and questions and hugs and it’s the most wonderful thing that’s happened in a decade. Alister embraces them both and wishes them both happy birthday. Percival lets him hold Tristan. The twins blow out the candles. Tachyon’s robots are taking photos.

 It’s all like a strange dream and Alister feels slightly angry with Percival for tricking him into this, but the joy of being with his children is obscuring that anger, leaving him elated.

 Only when it gets to the presents, does he feel a bit of unease. He didn’t come to a birthday party, he came on a mission. But Percival once more proves his cunning and says Alister had left the presents in his care. Azimuth watches the big boxes the robots bring with a heavy dose of suspicion. What could Percival pass for a gift from him? Will it be in some way an insult to him? Some cruel irony? Or is he perhaps going to spoil the kids rotten?

 It’s bicycles with training wheels.

 The twins are overjoyed and moments later they are riding around the table. And Alister feels like a fool for having expected something malevolent. Percival watches him smugly and for once Alister doesn’t even have the will to glare, he just watches Percival, studies the way the other man lifts Tristan, coos and nuzzles the toddler. He can’t decide if it looks genuine or not, if the children are a part of one big evil scheme or if Percival genuinely cares for them to some extent, or maybe it is both.

 No, Alister decides, Tachyon is a malicious power-hungry scum and there is no reason to expect any normal human feelings from him. Be they directed at his own children or anyone else. Tachyon is just a sick megalomaniac.

 When the time comes to say goodbye, Alister gives the children a long, loving embrace and then holds Tristan one last time. When Percival takes the infant away he leans close and whispers. “This could be your reality, Alister. Go back to the capital with us.”

 Alister withdraws, giving Tachyon a hateful cold look. “No.”

 “Think on it,” Percival says quietly, and then turns to the children. “Now, now, wave to Daddy and let us be on our way. He’s got important work to do.”

 Alister waves back at them and then leaves too. Nobody tries to stop him on his way out.

 * * *

 Some more months pass and through Tachyon’s global broadcasts Alister finds out he is now officially acknowledged as Percival’s agent. Furious, he tries to contact his allies and discovers many of them are buying Tachyon’s lies and turning their backs on him.

 He can only work solo now. This complicates some of his rebel operations immensely. But on others he notices the guards and soldiers don’t know quite what to do about him, and he uses it to his advantage.

 Then an idea comes to his mind.

 * * *

 One evening Percival returns home from a lengthy council with his military personnel concerning the recent developments in his standoff with Nefarious. He’s tired and it’s late, but he decides to check up on his children. Watching them sleep always makes him feel at peace.

 He enters the room of the twins and sneaks up to their bunk bed. Surprised to see Guinny isn’t in her lower bunk Percival checks Lamorak’s upper one and finds no children there either. Concerned, he goes to check up on Tristan and the nanny tells him his partner and agent, Alister Azimuth, came and took all three children away as previously agreed upon.

 Percival shrieks at the nanny, shaking her by the lapels. Where are his children? What kind of moronic idiot lets a man walk in and take children away without asking their mother?! Who cares that he is their father and the nation’s much celebrated hero, since recently at least…

 Tachyon lets the nanny go and sits down on a chair. His own mistake dawns on him. The babysitter doesn’t leave, instead she watches him shaken and then offers a holodisk that Alister and the children recorded before they left. Percival plays it.

 The recording shows Alister with the children all grinning at the camera as Alister announces he is taking the kids on a trip, to help “Mommy” relax and rest during “her” vacation. Lamorak corrects the use of pronouns, but Alister doesn’t go back to it. Percival balls his fists until his knuckles turn white. He wants to kill Azimuth. How dare he? The bastard!

 Percival storms away angrily, making calls and having his best and most trusted agents abandon whatever they are doing and set to work looking for Alister Azimuth. He needs his kids found and he needs them found now. He paces around the flat furiously, expecting calls any moment. He doesn’t go to sleep. He goes back to the twins’ bedroom and tidies it up. He returns to Tristan’s room and tidies it up as well. Then he sits down in a chair and weeps.

 * * *

 Alister is having a great time with his kids. He had prepared his newest hideout well and they have everything they could possibly need. He even took their favorite toys with them so they would feel more at home. Lamorak and Guinnevere are most excited, climbing everywhere and asking tons of questions. Only little Tristan is upset from the trip and keeps repeating “ma-ma” in miserable tones. Alister distracts him with some harmless old gadgets he has lying around and after a while the toddler calms down and falls asleep.

 Now left with the twins, Alister decides to try and find out what he has to work with. How badly did Percival brainwash them? How twisted was Tachyon’s parenting?

 Carefully he tries to appeal to them that perhaps their “mommy” isn’t as wonderful a person as she, he - Lamorak corrects him again and this time Alister concedes - as he pretends to be. The children discard that knowledge. Their mother is lovely, they say. He’s a great guy.

 Alister has a hard time accepting the use of the word “mother” with a male pronoun, but decides that is a matter for another day. Instead he asks what the children and Percy normally do together.

 To that Guinny produces her toy racoon and shows Alister a screen on the toy’s belly, that presents a collection of their home videos. The three of them sit down and the children show him their everyday life. Alister is overwhelmed. The family life is just beginning for him and here he sees an entirely new world. Percival, that rotten bastard, lives this wonderful dream, while he was stuck in the desert, seeing his children when the whimsical despot had the magnanimity to send him a holodisk or make a call.

 There are videos of Lamorak and Guinny playing together, videos they filmed of Tristan, old videos of just the twins and Percival. Alister can hardly recognise his nemesis. The Percival on those videos smiles and laughs and behaves not like a caricaturesque Machiavellian villain, but like a normal likable human being. Well, there is a hint of tyrannical madman in the laughter, but the smiles look good-natured enough.

 There are videos of them on a picnic, flying a kite. Percival carries the children on his shoulders in turns. They run around together, playing tag. The scene changes and it’s the three of them at home, all wrapped in a blanket wearing pajamas. Percival is holding the children close. There’s a large illustrated book before them, presenting the story of Peter Pan. Percival reads it softly, adapting different voices for different characters. Another skip and it’s the three of them watching one of Alister’s older video messages to them.

 The kids comment on the videos and tell Alister about their home, about the places they visit, the elementary school they have recently started and the friends they made. Alister is surprised that Percival would have his children go to a rather average school, and from the sound of it let them be treated like everyone else there. He doesn’t know all that much about schools in the USSA, but this one doesn’t sound fancy in any manner.

 After a while the children are tired and Alister puts them to sleep.

 He thinks on what he just saw. It doesn’t change his hatred of Percival. But he has to admit that Tachyon isn’t that bad a… mother. And seems to genuinely love the kids.

 Alister goes into a locked room and checks his personal line with Percival. There is a video message. Of course. Alister smirks at the screen and doesn’t play it. He will contact Percival tomorrow, when the children are well-rested. He leaves the room and locks the door, heading to bed.

 * * *

 Percival sits at the screen of his personal terminal anxiously waiting for a ping or a call from one of his agents. He hasn’t slept all night. His heart is pounding and his hands are sweaty. He hasn’t eaten anything in over twelve hours and he isn’t sure he could stomach anything now. Why isn’t Alister returning his pings? Why hasn’t he called back? Percival stares at the screen, his eyes red from tears and lack of sleep.

 The signal comes through. Alister is ready to talk.

 Percival calls him, ready to yell obscenities at the bastard.

 He is greeted with the view of Guinny and Lamorak in Alister’s lap and Tristan in his arms.

 “Hi, Mom!” the twins exclaim.

 “Ma-ma! Ma!” Tristan reaches out towards him.

 Percival balls his fists and forces a carefree smile on his face.

 “Good morning, children.”

 “Is everything alright, Mommy? Your eyes are very red,” Guinny asks worriedly.

 “Ah, yes, mommy just got a bit of an allergic reaction, like that old nanny you had, the one who couldn’t be around cats,” Percival lies quickly. He can’t fail to notice Alister’s smug expression.

 “Oh, no.” Lamorak frowns. “So we won’t be able to have a cat next year?”

 “No, no, it’s not cats this time… Just some exotic flowers I was gifted. How are you children? How’s your… stay with your… father?”

 “It’s awesome! He has so many cool things, like guns and mines and-”

 “And I hope he keeps those away from you, because those are not toys, and are completely unsuitable for little children,” Percival interrupts.

 “Of course,” Alister assures him.

 Lamorak rolls his eyes and crosses his arms on his chest, pouting.

 “Poor mommy, you look so tired. I hope you rest well. Daddy says you’re going on a vacation, that is why he will be looking after us.” Guinnevere looks at Percy with concern and then cheers up. “Will we have another brother? Or a sister this time?”

 Both Percival and Alister stare at Guinnevere in shock.

 “No. This is not that kind of vacation, dear,” Percival says.

 Now the little girl looks disappointed just like her brother.

 “Ma,” Tristan says, reaching towards the screen still.

 Percival reaches towards the camera. “I’m here, Tristan. I love you. I love you all.” Tachyon’s eyes travel over the faces of the children and stop on Alister. He frowns. “Are you sure you have everything they need… _dear_?”

 “Yes.”

 “Even Tristan? He is very young.”

 “Yes, I’m aware.”

 “Well, before we end this call, let me remind you how to change diapers.”

 “Yuck!” The twins make faces and escape the scene. “Bye, mom!”

 “Bye, kids!”

 Seeing Alister reach for the off switch, Percival hisses. “Don’t you dare.”

 Alister pauses, looking at him smugly.

 The moment Percival hears the door close behind the twins his expression loses all traces of friendliness. “Alister, what the hell do you think you’re doing? You’re a rebel in the desert. Return the children at once, or my people will find you. And when they do-”

 “Oh yes, what will they do then?” Alister leans back, holding Tristan close and distracting him with his aircraft’s keys. “Please, do enlighten me.”

 “I want my children back now.”

 “They’re my children too.”

 “You kidnapped them.”

 “No. I took them for a trip. So you can rest. Besides, you kidnapped them first.”

 

 Percival snarls. “You listen here-”

 “No. This conversation is over. Rest well, momsy. Good day.”

 The call ends. Percival dials in again. Alister has turned his terminal off. Used to getting his way, Tachyon screams and slams the call button over and over, but nothing happens. Shaking, Percival bursts into tears of helplessness and anger. He chokes on them until he can hardly breathe. But when they run out he finally falls asleep.

 * * *

 Alister finds fatherhood comes naturally to him. The twins are having a mighty good time in his company. But when he tries to tell them about the way things used to be before the extra “S” appeared in the US of A, they denounce his notions of history and say their mother told them otherwise.

 “Your mother is a... delicate flower, she doesn’t want to tell you about the rough reality of those times.”

 “Please, don’t call mom a “she”, Dad. He executed the last man who did it,” Lamorak says seriously.

 “Yes, poor doctor, he was nice otherwise,” Guinnevere adds, somberly picking at her raccoon’s plastic eye. “Mommy later admitted it was unnecessary. But what’s done is done.”

 “We don’t want you executed, Dad.”

 Alister stares at the kids speechless for a moment.

 He decides to let it go for now and invites the kids for a walk. The twins gladly agree.

 * * *

 Tristan is a lot more trouble, than Alister expected. Several weeks after he brought them all to his hideout the toddler manages to bump his head against a corner of a crate and scrapes his forehead quite nastily. It’s just a scratch, but it looks ugly and after he’s done disinfecting it and calming the crying child Alister realizes he will have a much tougher time calming down the boy’s mother if Tachyon calls them.

 Tachyon does, of course. And despite Alister’s best attempts to hold Tristan so that Percival can’t see the scratch, Tachyon finds out anyway. Lamorak just goes ahead and tells him. Alister feels betrayed, but before he can reprimand his son, Percival sternly sends the kids away together with Tristan and yells at Alister at the top of his lungs. Azimuth considers dropping the call, but just as he reaches to press the button he notices tears in Percival’s eyes and pauses. Tachyon looks terrible. He’s even paler than usual. Alister notices makeup under his eyes, hiding what must be pretty impressive dark circles. Tachyon’s eyes are very very red.

 Guiltily Alister lets his hand drop and sits through the verbal storm patiently.

 “I’ll hand Tristan over to you if you promise not to try to use the opportunity to take them all back.”

 Percival looks at him in surprise. He breathes heavily from all the yelling and wipes his eyes with his sleeve almost automatically, wiping some of the toner in the process. The circles under his eyes are very dark indeed. Alister feels a pang of guilt.

 “I admit I did not think it through as well as I imagined. This is no place for a toddler. I can keep the twins safe, though.”

 “Can you?” Percival scoffs.

 “Yes.” Alister winces. “Listen, I’m sorry. I truly am. But the little buster will be fine.”

 Tachyon glares at him coldly.

 “He will be better off back with you though.”

 Percival’s expression softens. “I’ll send coordinates your way. Please, come. I will be there. No tricks.” He sighs. “I want Guinny and Lamorak back, too.”

 “I know. And you will have them, but not yet.”

 “...”

 * * *

 Alister hardly manages to get out of his ship, when Percival rushes up to him and takes Tristan out of his arms. The little boy bursts into giggles and happy screams, gripping onto Percival’s clothes and giving clumsy hugs. Tachyon kneels, holding the babe close and burst into tears.

 Azimuth just stands there, looking down at his enemy, feeling increasingly guilty.

 Percival kisses the toddler’s forehead and cuddles him.

 Alister looks away, studying the elite troops who are guarding the perimeter of their rendezvous point. Percival surely takes the safety of his children seriously.

 “You should go.”

 Alister looks down at Percival surprised.

 “Guinny and Lamorak shouldn’t be left alone. They’ll dismantle your defense system and build themselves robot fighters,” Percival says without looking at him.

 Alister snorts.

Percival looks up at him seriously. “I’m not joking. Go. Now!”

 Azimuth bows down and kisses his son, before climbing into his ship. As he flies away Tristan and Percival wave to him. And no matter how hard he searches his feelings Alister can’t find the same hate that used to come so easy at the sight of Tachyon.

 * * *

 When he is back it turns out Percival was truly being serious. The twins are halfway through dismantling his mainframe.

 * * *

 A few months pass.

 Alister is starting to miss his rebel activities, but he can’t go back to those with the children around. Still, being a dad is pretty exciting. The twins are brilliant, Lamorak in particular. They’ve definitely inherited Percival’s technical genius. But Alister hopes to ensure they don’t inherit some other things.

 Sometimes they ask him if Mommy’s vacation is over yet, but he tells them “no” each time. He just wants one more week alone with them. And then perhaps another one. And another.

 * * *

 The twins are taking a nap and Alister goes to the room where he keeps his terminal for communicating with Tachyon. There was a signal earlier, but he ignored it. Tachyon is a nuisance, wanting to check up on the kids way too often. Alister sees no reason to let him see them much more often than he was allowed to do so by Tachyon.

 Azimuth presses the play button, prepared for another bout of angry ranting courtesy of his children’s mother.

 Instead of the usual elaborate scolding Alister sees a closeup of Percival’s pale face, whispering into what must be a portable communicator. Before he makes out the words Alister hears blaster fire and screams.

 “... tricked, fake distress call from you, said kids are hurt, outnumbered, sending coordinates, need hel-”

 The video ends abruptly. Alister sits up, checking the timestamp and the coordinates sent with the call. It’s been three hours. Without giving it a second thought, Alister gets up and runs to his ship.

 * * *

 He has to fight his way through the base of people he had previously worked with. The familiarity with its layout helps. The familiarity of the people he has to shoot down less so.

 Alister had tried negotiating, but they would have none of it. They think he is Tachyon’s lapdog and want him dead just as much as the dictator. Dialogue gets him nowhere. His marksmanship is getting him closer and closer to where they must be holding Tachyon.

 Azimuth is crouching behind a corner, waiting for an opening in blaster fire to try moving to a better position, when he hears a loud bang. Moments later the blaster fire changes direction and intensifies. He looks out from behind the corner and sees a modified robot guard approach his assailants, wielding a turret. As the men get mowed down Alister hears Percival’s high-pitched furious voice.

 “You thought you could take me prisoner, you maggots?!”

 A rebel throws a grenade at the robot. When it explodes a blue sphere lights up around the robot, revealing a momentarily activated overclocked shield. The fire from the turret ceases for a mere moment and then the robot turns around, slaughtering the man who threw the grenade.

 “Tachyon, stop! Don’t kill them!”

 Alister steps out from cover, lifting his hands into the air.

 Percival’s voice comes from the speakers scattered around the base.

 “Why shouldn’t I? They weren’t about to treat either of us any better.”

 “That doesn’t matter. You’re safe now. I’m here.”

 There is a moment of silence. Then the robot marches away the way it came. Alister jogs towards the men he’d been in a gunfight with a moment ago. They’re all dead. He bites his lips. There is not a living person in sight. Blood and guts are splattered over the walls and the floor and the massive mech that keeps walking away. Alister follows it.

 The way to Percival is paved with corpses, walls are riddled with holes, panels torn off the walls by explosions and blaster fire.

 “How did you break free?”

 “You helped distract them and I snuck into their command center. The rest was easy. Bless robotic security, what can I say? Had they locked me in a cell made of sticks and stones in the middle of a forest, I’d be far worse off…” Percival sounds tired, but rather friendly. Perhaps a little too friendly.

 Alister and the robot reach massive doors that open to a small but cluttered room with many screens. Percival leaves the only chair and limps towards Alister. Blood soaks his left trouser leg below the knee and his left forearm is badly burnt by what must have been blaster fire. His face is badly bruised and his healthy arm is embracing his skinny torso like his side hurts.

 He gives Alister a tired, but grateful look.

 “Thanks for the rescue. Who did you leave the kids with?”

 “...”

 “You didn’t leave them alone, did you?!”

 “I was in a hurry-”

 “Are you a complete idiot?! What if you died?!”

 Alister grits his teeth. “The twins are smart, they’d figure something out. Would you rather I let you get yourself killed?”

 Percival stares up at him surprised and speechless for a moment. Then his ability to speak returns with a vengeance. “Oh, getting myself killed! It’s _my_  fault now! You take my kids, leaving me anxious for months, then I get a call that they are grievously hurt and need immediate medical attention and rush to their aid…” Tears appear in Percival’s eyes, but he blinks them away fiercely. “And now it’s my fau-”

 Alister almost hugs him then. Almost. And the worst thing in all this is that he stops himself at the last moment not because of realizing who Percival is but only because he remembers about the injury. He scolds himself for almost instinctively displaying affection towards Tachyon. He’s got to watch himself better.

 “You need a doctor.”

 Percival looks at him, sadness but also challenge in his eyes, “First take me to my children.”

 “No… On second thought, alright, damnit. Come. There’s a medkit on the ship.”

 * * *

 Alister ends up flying all of them back to Tachyon’s USSA.

 “Stay…” Percival whispers as they stand alone, ready to say their goodbyes.

 Azimuth hesitates. He knows Percival’s kidnapping might have just been another little piece of the game Tachyon is playing, the grand game of manipulation. That this could have been the goal - to lure him in, after burning all his bridges. Tachyon always gets what he wants, even though Alister hates to give him that. He looks at the twins, and they look back at him sadly. He turns to Tachyon, lowering his voice so that the kids won’t hear him. “No. Not until your rule is abolished and the USA is back the way it was,” he says sternly.

 Percival looks at him sourly. “I can’t do that. But I will make changes if you prove to me that they are needed.”

 Alister considers this. “Will I have authority and access to any information or locations I require for this?”

 “As long as I can trust you not to use them against me, of course.”

 “I’ll stay then.”

 Percival looks at him utterly surprised, then smiles. His smile fades quickly as he cringes and hugs himself. “Good, I will make arrangements.” He turns to face his troops and his children and makes an announcement about Alister’s “return”. When he is done, a doctor and a nurse appear at his side and Percival is lead away.

 Hearing that their father is staying for good the twins jump with joy and run up to Alister, hugging his legs. He crouches to give them a proper hug.

 * * *

 Alister feels weird in Tachyon’s home. It’s not how he’d expected it. Even when he came to take away the children it struck him how much Percival actually sticks with the system he established. They have everything they need and nothing more. The furniture is practical, the rooms spacious, but not too much so. The decorations are few and cheap. The only thing Percival did not hold back on was the security. It got much more serious than the last time Alister’s been here and Azimuth feels it has to do with his last visit.

 It’s getting late and the matter of accommodation comes up. Alister plans to take one of the guest rooms, but when they hear about it the twins get very upset, asking if he is going to leave, if he is with them only temporarily. A bit confused, he replies that of course he’s intending to stay.

 “Then why aren’t you going to sleep with Mommy?”

 Percival and Alister exchange bewildered looks, that quickly turn bitter. But the twins don’t calm down until Alister gives in and says he will stay with their mother.

 So when the night falls Alister finds himself lying in Percival’s king sized bed. The bandaged dictator is lying almost a meter away, still wincing with pain. Both of them just stare at the ceiling for a while. Each has his own comforter.

 “If you don’t stay true to your word, I will leave,” Alister says.

 “Got it.” Percival doesn’t look at him.

 “I am doing this for the children.”

 “I know. Thank you. They need their father. And I’m glad you’re here.” Percival reaches out with his uninjured hand and touches Alister’s shoulder.

 Alister jerks away from the touch.

 Tachyon takes his hand away. “Goodnight, Alister.”

 “... Goodnight.”

 * * *

 Time passes by, as Alister goes around the USSA and finds Tachyon a thousand and one examples of communism failing. Percival is bitter and angry, but he listens to his reports and his suggestions and little by little starts implementing changes here and there. It’s still communism, but it works better.

 The kids are very happy to have both of their parents together. But it’s not as wonderful as they’d imagined. Percival and Alister try their best to get along in front of the kids, but sometimes one or both of them slip up and the twins are already too old not to notice something is wrong. So Tachyon and Azimuth have to give each other the occasional public hug or say a kind word or two to compensate.

 Whenever they are alone in the bedroom, Percival tries to keep up the friendly banter or make peace with Alister, but Alister always cuts his attempts short. Most nights they sleep each on his far side of the bed, his back on the other.

 At some point Percival hardly tries to establish a connection anymore.

 * * *

 Until one day Lamorak falls off a tree and breaks his arm.

 Already tired of Percival’s hysterics on the topic during the day, when they are alone Alister tells him to calm down already. Children get hurt. They climb trees, they fall, they jump out of windows into piles of leaves or hay. It’s what kids do.

 “My childhood was nothing like that!”

 “I don’t care what kind of weirdo childhood you had, Tachyon, and I don’t want to know.”

 “I’ll keep my mouth shut then. Goodnight, Alister,” Percival says angrily and turns his back on him.

 Azimuth feels a little guilty. It’s been a rough day. Rougher for Percival than anyone else. Lamorak took his injury far better than his mom did. Alister gives the angry comforter roll next to him on the bed a tired look.

 “Come on. Don’t be like that.” He touches Percival’s back lightly, but Percival only makes a show of turning away even more. “It’s no big deal. You heard the doctors, the fracture wasn’t anything horrible, Lamorak will recover in no time. And as for the pain, it’s good. It’s how kids learn. He’s a tough boy, he’s gonna be fine, I promise.”

 Percival slowly turns back to face him. Alister sees he’s visibly upset. After a moment of silence he hesitantly pulls Tachyon into a hug. “Calm down.”

 The smaller man hugs him back and they lie like that for a moment.

 “I just… worry for them so much.” There are tears in Percival’s voice.

 “I know. But right now the situation is under control, and there’s really nothing more to worry about. Just… relax,” he murmurs as he strokes Percival’s back.

 And Percival does relax. When he looks up at Azimuth again there’s only tiredness in his expression. And for once it feels completely earnest and genuine. They lie like this until one after another they drift asleep.

 * * *

 The next day things are back to normal. They bicker, they glare at each other, but the hostility grows a little shallower, a little less passionate. In the evening when they lie together Percival shifts closer. Alister doesn’t embrace him but neither does he turn away, and so they just lie like that for a while. In the end Azimuth touches Percy’s face and wishes him goodnight.

 Such small gestures of acceptance slowly grow more common between them and after a while their squabbles turn more and more scarce and peaceful, while displays of affection become more frequent and genuine. Each day they find that they are there for each other, and that the time at each other’s side feels like time well spent. Day by day they grow more accustomed to being a family, until finally one night as they make love Percival tells Alister that he loves him and Alister admits that he cares for him too.

 It’s no lie. He really does. There’s a lot of reasons for him to hate Percy, there are a lot of grudges he hasn’t fully let go of, but seeing the man everyday, raising the kids together with him, Alister can’t help but get attached. Moreover, Tachyon is keeping his word and even though he has no intention to give up power, with every passing month progress is made and people’s lives are improving.

 * * *

 One day an assassin strikes while they are all out in a park. The children are luckily out of harm’s way, playing a good distance away, but a man jumps Percival with a concealed knife. In a flash Alister is on him and they struggle for a moment, before Azimuth overpowers the man, forces the knife out of his hand and beats him into unconsciousness.

 When his rage is depleted, Alister realizes what he just did and worriedly looks around to see if Percival is ok and if the kids didn’t see it. Percival is close by, crouching with the children in his arms, surrounded by security personnel. A few officers run up to Alister and pick the man he knocked out to cuff the assassin and drag him away. The children look worried, but when they see Alister is victorious, they cheer.

 Alister turns to Tachyon, and Percy offers him a thankful smile. It’s suddenly worth the trouble. The idea that he’d almost lost Percival feels like a cold knife through his gut. Alister looks upon his children and Percival and finally feels this is where he belongs, this is his family. All antagonistic feelings towards Tachyon are gone. All that is left is a muddled, but prominent sense of kinship, of responsibility and attachment. Alister walks over to them and kneels to hug both Percival and the children. Tachyon kisses his temple and Alister turns to give him a proper kiss.

 The kids cheer again.

 * * *

 From then on Alister starts to accept his feelings towards Percival, and he notices that Percival seems to have long since developed and accepted his own feelings for him. All the little signs of affection, the tentative fleeting touches stop being unpleasant and annoying and Alister begins to reciprocate them. He pulls Percy close in front of the kids, kisses his hair, holds him in his arms. And it feels great.

 * * * 

One time Alister comes back from a trip to South America, bringing more reports of corruption and ineffectiveness in Tachyon’s bureaucratic machine. He’s ready to pile the reports up on Percival’s desk, but when he enters the study he finds Percival curled up in an armchair in the corner of the room. There are some files on the coffee table in front of him. They look very old and warn.

 As he walks closer, Percival wipes away tears and Alister forgets all about his report. He drops the papers on the empty part of the table and kneels next to Tachyon.

 “What’s the matter, Percy?”

 He hasn’t seen Tachyon cry in a couple of years and last time it had to do with the safety of their children. Something serious must have happened. Alister feels mounting unease.

 “I… My agents have finally found the file for my biological parents. R-read that letter.” Percival gestures towards a yellowed piece of paper that lies on top of the file.

 Alister takes it and sits down in an armchair next to Percival. The letter is written in flawless English. Two brilliant Soviet scientists, a husband and a wife, are looking to escape the Soviet Union and its corrupt dystopian political system to secure a happy, free life for their newborn daughter. They seem to have made contact with American special services, who are supposed to help them escape with their child. Alister stares at the page in confusion. Daughter… Ah, of course. He glances at Percival and sees the other man is at the verge of tears again, staring into nothingness. The letter paints a very negative, well-informed and objective view on communism. Two people risked - and from what Alister can see from the remainder of the file - lost their lives trying to save their child from growing up in a system they saw was miserably failing and about to go up in flames. Which it did, few years after they escaped. Their child was adopted by an American billionaire and his beautiful artist wife. Eventually the child chose to transition and was raised as a boy from pre-teens.

 Alister gives Percival a long thoughtful look. He never knew much about Percival’s past. His family, or at least the adoptive one of which Alister had been vaguely aware, was rich, and that was all he knew. He feels the need to fix this, to get to know Percival better. All the times Percival tried opening up to him when they weren’t yet getting along come back, and Alister feels a little guilty. Percy is his lover now and he still knows so little.

 But this birth family and their history must be new even to Percival. And after discovering their sacrifice and their views, Alister can see why Tachyon would be upset.

 Percival turns his eyes to him.

 “My mother, my _adoptive_  mother, always told me they were Soviet patriots. She said it had been the American special services that’d killed them. That my parents were communists.” His voice trembles, tears form in his eyes. “All my childhood she told me how the world around me was flawed and corrupt, how people were forced to live in a barbaric system where the few profited at the cost of the many. That my birth parents died fighting that system. My whole life, everything I did, was based on a lie spun by a deluded self-righteous addict!” Percival shakes with anger and pain and hides his head in his arms. He starts sobbing.

 Alister gets off the chair and pulls Percy close. He never expected any of this. Tachyon’s communist agenda always seemed like a whim of a rich spoiled ultra-leftist to him. He never tried to understand where that worldview could have come from. Once he had assumed Percival was merely an insane megalomaniac. Recently he was leaning towards a very deluded idealist. He never thought this idea could have been planted in Percy’s head so early on by someone so close to him. He had always imagined Tachyon had come up with this on his own.

 It doesn’t change what he did. But it does change what lies ahead.

 “What are you going to do?” he asks softly.

 “I don’t know.” Percival sobs. “I want to disappear.”

 Alister grips him tighter, holding Tachyon close.

 “No, you don’t. Shh, Percy. You couldn’t have known. For better or for worse you still have the power over both North and South America. You can still change things, reinstate a democracy, bring back capitalism. Or try to find a new system, something that will work even better.” He lifts Tachyon’s head by the chin. Percy’s face and eyes are red, tears are rolling from his eyes. Alister kisses him on the cheek. “You have a brilliant mind, Percy. And if you put yourself to it, I’m sure we can do it.”

 Percival hugs him tight.

 * * *

 When Alister drops to his knee one day and proposes to Percival, Tachyon gives a few minutes long speech on the redundancy and obsoleteness of the institution of marriage.

 Then, he says yes.

 * * *

 Alister is excited by the perspective of seeing Percival in a proper wedding dress. Percival comes wearing a fancy suit instead. Alister sighs. Aw crap, of course.

 * * *

 It’s afternoon and the children are not back from school and preschool yet. The paperwork for the day is done and there are no public appearances to be made. Alister pulls his spouse close carefully, mindful of Percival’s belly. It took some coaxing and a good bit of diplomacy to make the man stop wearing several thick layers of clothing trying to hide it from him. Percival hates being perceived as a woman. He was afraid seeing him pregnant would make Alister treat him like one. That is until Alister managed to convince him that nothing he did or showed him could make him think of him as a woman. Even before he’s only been using female pronouns to mess with him. And so here they are now, finally completely at peace with each other.

 Percy sighs happily, and Alister smiles. Percy looks up at him, returning the expression.

 “So, any ideas about the name?”

 “John?” Alister proposes. High time one of their children got a normal name.

 “Oh, you want to go Biblical then… How about Goliath?”

 “No.” Alister frowns.

 “Yes, you’re right, he did get defeated… What about David then?”

 Azimuth considers it. “Yes, David is fine for a start.”

 “And if it’s a girl… how do you like… Mary?”

 Alister prepares to argue, but finds there’s no reason to. “That’s a good one.”

 Percival smiles. "Of course it is. I proposed it."

 Alister just rolls his eyes.

  **THE END**

* * *

 The [Genghis Khan song & video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_SlAzsXa7E) were a huge inspiration for this fanfic, please watch it :D

**Ending notes, from Zlu: **

Dear readers, some of you might have a bad aftertaste, because Percy who is evil, and in this case a dictator, happens to be trans in this fan fic. Negative representation, I know. Yet, I decided to stick with this, because it just really fit this version of him and the story in my opinion. Since it's not a story aimed at more than maybe a dozen people, I don't think it should affect the trans community in any significant way. I strongly believe there are good and nasty people in every group, and Percy just happens to be a dick (and make peculiar life decisions, like blackmailing his romantic interest with children). As for Alister and his attitude to it (which is also far from perfect understanding and acceptance), he's in a really weird place psychologically and has hardly any previous experience dealing with trans people. I hope you enjoyed watching the two of them stumble through this mess.

 

** Notes from Zlu & Luff: **

 There was also one more AU that we've discussed. We won't be writing it but just for your entertainment, here are some main events:

\- at the end of "A Crack in Time" Alister actually succeeds in sending his consciousness back in time right to the moment when Tachyon was arriving to Fastoon. He orders for the Cragmite to be arrested but Percy manages to flee from the planet

\- Alister has scouts searching for Percival, meanwhile he gains significant influence on Fastoon and turns it into a police state like in Minority Report (he knows where the Great Clock is located and enslaving the Zoni he makes making them predict near future events, using this system to punishing people for crimes they didn't yet commit). He has strong support from some of the Lombaxes but also makes many enemies, especially as he tries to extend this "defence system" onto the nearby planets

\- Percy gathers all those enemies around himself and becomes an icon of the rebellion against Alister and his methodes and the spokesman for liberating the galaxy from the grasp of Azimuth's oppression

\- At some point Alister finally manages to capture Percy but he knows that if he kills him or imprisons him indefinitely Percy would be seen as a martyr, and it will only strengthen the opposition. So instead he erases Percy's memories and teaches him his ideals, having Percival announce on live broadcast that he has changed his mind and now supports Azimuth and the security he offers.

\- The problem is Percy's memories come back after a while (since the technology was not really tested on Cragmites before). He's really pissed at Alister but after thinking it through he decides he may yet turn this situation to his advantage, and so he pretends he doesn't remember anything. He cooperates with Alister, hoping to get close enough to him to gain access to the coordinates of the Great Clock, but to have some satisfaction out of this he keeps subtly guilt-tripping Azimuth about he doesn't remember his family, his life... he asks all sorts of uncomfortable questions about Cragmites etc, And Alister really starts feeling guilty after a while - after all this version of Percy hadn't done anything evil, even though Alister knows he would have, if he hadn't been stopped.

\- in the end, Percival gains access to the Clock and behind Azimuth's back goes there, and travels back in time, destroying the Clock on his way. Unbeknowns to Tachyon, Alister manages to follow him, but something glitches for Alister and he winds up arriving about a year later. He is surprised to find out that in that time Percival (that he suspects to be the Percival who came from the future) has managed to set himself up in the labs on Fastoon and at the same time. Alister is surprised that Percival hasn't killed him yet. Alister isn't sure of what to make of this situation. His new memories of what happened in the last year of the current timeline confirm that Percival knows everything. This time he is the one to pretend he hasn't regained his memories yet...

So that's what it was supposed to be, the rest would be about the figuring out this stalemate ;)

**Thanks for reading, everyone! We're pretty sure there's like maybe 6 fans of this pairing in the whole world so if you happen to be the 7th and you liked these AUs, please drop us a comment! C:**

 And as per usual, a few more pictures ;)

 

Also here are some very early attempts of coming up with human versions for Percy and Alister ;) 


End file.
